Solving problems in mentoring programs
Abstract
Mentoring programs face common problems as they work to provide youth with positive adult role models. At the 2001 National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service in Minneapolis, Minnesota, staff from mentoring programs shared ideas for recruiting, selecting mentors, training and orientation, matching youth with mentors, and establishing relationships. Programs' best practices were recorded during a problem-solving clinic on mentoring during the conference.Issue
When representatives from various mentoring programs gathered at a problem-solving clinic on mentoring at the 2001 National Conference on National Service and Community Volunteering, several questions were raised regarding recruiting and selecting mentors, training and orientation, matching youth with mentors, and establishing relationships. The group dialogued about each issue raised to share ideas and effective practices.Action
During the session, participants raised questions their mentoring program struggled with. The participants then discussed possible solutions. The effective practices below were shared during the session.
Recruiting
Q: We have three times as many women volunteer mentors as men. How can we attract more men?
A: Check out the mentoring.org website. It includes a list of organizations that may have potential mentors. Organizations in your community such as "One Hundred Black Men" may also be a good source of potential mentors. Utilize your local cable channels and newspapers. Post information at bowling alleys, church bulletin boards and Laundromats. Think of non-traditional communities that may be able to get involved. One program tries to recruit employees from the local prison. Many of them rent apartments for the week and go home during the weekend so they have time on their hands during the week to volunteer. Never underestimate the power of networking and using a one-on-one approach. One participant suggested wearing a button that said, "Ask me about..." High school students may also be a potential source of male mentors
.Selecting Mentors
Q: How do you perform background checks on potential mentors who are reluctant?
A: Inform potential mentors that a background check is required to be a mentor. If someone is reluctant to have a background check, do not let the person be a one-on-one mentor but rather allow them to make presentations to groups.
Q: How do you properly select mentors without asking for information that is too personal?
A: Ask open-ended questions in the application or during the interview. One-on-one conversations might open a reluctant person up to questions of a personal but necessary nature. Institute a probationary period that includes training so you can get to know the mentor before matching him/her with a mentee.
Training and Orientation
Q: What is involved in training a mentor and how long or intense should the training be?
A: One program organizes a "boot camp" training for mentors that includes what's involved in being a mentor and how to be a mentor. The training is available every six months. The mentors are trained in subjects such as drugs and alcohol and teen pregnancies.
Q: How do you get schools to cooperate with the guidelines the mentor program has established? In particular, a Foster Grandparent program was having difficulty getting teachers to use the volunteers as one-on-one mentors and not teachers' aides.
A: Be sure to orient teachers on the proper assignments for the Foster Grandparents as well as prohibitions on what they cannot do. Present the information at teacher staff meetings and give the volunteers a written sheet of the do's and don'ts that they can hand to the teachers if problems arise. If the teachers still do not follow the guidelines, consider reassigning the volunteers
Youth with Mentors
Q: How do you handle a younger student who will not talk with a mentor who is an older student?
A: Provide them with something to do. Understand that it takes time to build trust. If a mentor is confronted with silence from their mentee, advise the mentor to remain silent but not become frustrated or abandon the mentee. Often mentees expect their new mentor to walk out on them and may be testing the new relationship. A group activity may help break the ice between mentors and mentees. Set up a buddy system for the mentors, so they can get support and advice from a more experienced mentor. Requiring mentees to meet with their mentors may not always be in the best interest of the student.
Establishing Relationships
Q: Should mentors buy gifts for their mentees?
A: Small gifts were in general considered acceptable. However, if a child receives a gift once, they may expect another gift the next time. If a mentor feels strongly about giving a gift, then have him/her consider the size of the gift and the reasons for giving the gift. It may be best to only allow mentors to give gifts such as photos, cookies, or scrapbooks that are meaningful but inexpensive. Another idea was to allow mentors to contribute to a fund that would be used to pay for an event for everyone. Consider whether giving of gifts is a part of the program's structure. If one mentor gives a gift, it could undermine the structure of the program.