Mentoring programs for secondary students

Programs that are intended to help a youth through a difficult transition should think about whether online communication could strengthen their program design or outcomes. This program took a thoughtful approach in how it structured the online activities and mentoring conversations over the 12 weeks of the program. The first activity helped mentees think about their interests, their talents, and their motivations, while the second translated that personal information in to possible paths for life after high school.

This allowed mentees to see that their post-secondary life could be connected to things they already care about and build on strengths they already possessed. The third set of activities made those dreams more concrete, by setting short- and long-term action steps and developing a doable plan. Any program working with high school age youth may want to consider putting together a set of sequential activities that cover those three broad areas.

In fact, there are other examples in the field of mentoring programs using mentors in this way: YouthBuild USA provides a module for mentors and youth to do together around post-secondary planning that very much follows these three core areas of personal reflection, future visioning, and concrete planning.

Whether in-person or online, this can be a major form of support for any mentor of an older adolescent. One of the lazy assumptions about e-mentoring is that the relationships, and individuals in them, require less structure and support and that the communication platform itself will spur participation. At universities, student mentoring is proven to improve student retention, boost job placement rates, and increase alumni engagement when tapping alumni as mentors.

A thriving, impactful mentoring program is within your reach. They are built through thoughtful planning and sustained commitment to guiding participants through the mentoring process while continually improving the program. Deciding to implement a mentoring program is a great strategy for improving employee metrics like retention.

A report from PeopleFluent shows that 78 percent of millennials said being a part of a mentorship program made them feel more engaged with their organization. As with any major project, proper planning is crucial to achieving your strategic goals.

Mentoring programs can be highly impactful, but there are many factors that are critical to the success of your program. A formal mentoring program is a structured, often one-to-one relationship in a work, organization or academic setting. A well-functioning mentoring program requires strategic planning and organization to connect people, increase knowledge and build skills for future goals and milestones.

Impactful mentoring programs train mentors and mentees to have productive conversations and meetings, providing them with career development tools and resources to accomplish set goals.

When done right, a mentoring program in a professional setting is an enjoyable, rewarding experience for organizations and their people. A well-planned, thoughtful mentoring program will encourage people to connect with others on a personal level and build strong, trusting relationships that motivate and guide toward future goals.

Investing time in developing a well-organized mentoring program does not only support incoming professionals into the organization but also strengthen the skills of current professionals with, for example, management and collaborative goal-setting skills.

A mentoring program can also help students acclimate to college life, as well as prepare to graduate and enter the workforce. A mentoring program can help members of a professional association further their development and network with others in their industry. A mentoring program benefits the mentee and mentor relationship and helps the organization by building an inclusive mentoring culture centered on learning, sharing new ideas, and creating a shared vision.

A mentorship program can diminish isolation and exclusivity, while increasing engagement, retention rates, and skill development. Read on to find out how you can create your own high-impact mentoring program in five steps. To answer these questions you will need to dive deep to understand your target audience.

Make sure you understand who they are, where they are, their development needs, and their key motivations to participate. Translate your vision into SMART objectives: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound.

Objectives provide direction to program participants, establish program key performance indicators KPIs , and help organizational leaders understand why they should offer their support. Successful mentorship programs offer both structure and flexibility. Structure provides participants a mentoring workflow to follow and is critical to help participants achieve productive learning that reaches defined goals.

Similarly, flexibility is essential to support varying individual mentoring needs across specific learning goals, preferences, and learning style. A good idea is to create a program workflow diagram to explain each step of your program. You can provide details such as key actions, timeframes, support resources, and criteria for moving to the next phase. Mark areas that will require some flexibility to support user needs. Mentoring software allows you to deliver a wide-variety of mentoring programs.

Regardless if a small or large program, mentoring software is easy to configure and will save you time and cost in getting your program started and running smoothly. See how software walks you through configuring a program. When formal mentorship programs are introduced in organizations, there is generally natural enthusiasm.

A common reason is the absence of effective promotion. For many, this will be their first opportunity to participate in mentoring. You will need to convince them that participating is worth their time and effort. Beyond participants, key leaders and stakeholders will need to be educated on the benefits of the program and strategic value to the organization. Consider the needs of mentors.

Building a solid base of mentors can be a challenge. It is important to understand the positive and negative factors that impact mentor participation. A mentor is an experienced friend or confidant who is there to provide guidance and support in any number of ways and situations, including academically. This includes greater self-esteem and social-emotional development benefits — all critical for making the most of academic and career goals.

Therefore, the mentoring of youth by adults is one of the more promising program approaches intended to promote positive youth outcomes.

Here are some ways you can help young people as a mentor:. There are many reasons to become a mentor see 10 Reasons to Become a Mentor infographic. Want to go the extra mile as a mentor?

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