Why mentor youth

January is National Mentoring Month and culminates with the National Mentoring Summit , which is dedicated to expanding the availability and impact of mentors. Ready to be part of the mentoring movement? Contact your local United Way to get involved in a way that works for you. OK, got it Give me more info. Donate Take Action. Kids go to school more when they have a mentor, so attendance goes up. Young people with mentors are more likely to aspire to attend and to enroll in college. Decreased likelihood of initiating illegal drug and alcohol use.

A BBBS study showed youth with mentors were less likely to begin using drugs or alcohol during the eighteen-month period of the study than their peers. Specifically, 6. These findings were more substantial for minority youth Tierny et al. Decreased violent behavior.

Mentees in the BBBS program were 32 percent less likely to report having hit someone over the past year than the young people without mentors Tierny et al. Jekielek et al. Other Potential Benefits. Mentoring has also been linked in studies to social-emotional development benefits, improvements in youth perceptions of parental relationships, and better prospects for moving on to higher education.

Mentoring can help youth as they go through challenging life transitions, including dealing with stressful changes at home or transitioning to adulthood.

Close, healthy, supportive relationships between mentors and mentees that last for a significant portion of time i. Without this, mentoring programs run the risk of harming young people who are paired with mentors ill-equipped to meet the mentees' needs.

Specifically, relationships with mentors that last less than three months; where there is irregular and inconsistent contact; where there is a disconnect between the personalities, interests, and expectations of the mentors and mentees; where mentors are unprepared and lack skills to relate to youth; and where there is no emotional bond between the mentor and mentee have been found to be harmful to youth Jekielek et al.

Blakely, C. PDF, 2 pages. Cavell, T. Strengthening mentoring opportunities for at-risk youth. Jekielek, S. Mentoring programs and youth development: A synthesis. Washington, DC: Child Trends.

Herrera, C. LoSciuto, L. An outcome evaluation of across ages: An intergenerational mentoring approach to drug prevention. Journal of Adolescent Research, 11 1 , Elements of effective practice in mentoring. Third Edition. Rhodes, J. Tierney, J. Did you know how to study for a test or make plans for college? Do you remember wanting your first car or looking for a part-time job?

Simple things that seem easy or straightforward to you now may appear to be a complete mystery to a young person. Mentors provide their mentees with an experienced friend who is there to help in any number of situations. Mentoring, at its core, lets young people know that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges, and makes them feel like they matter.

Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations.

Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity. There are many different opportunities to give back through mentoring in Washington State.