Mentoring

"Mentors are advisors, people with career experience willing to share their knowledge; supporters, people who give emotional and moral encouragement; tutors, people who give specific feedback on one's performance; masters, in the sense of employers to whom one is apprenticed; sponsors, sources of information about and aid in obtaining opportunities; models, of identity, of the kind of person one should be to be an academic."
- Morris Zelditch

A mentor is an adult who, along with parents, provides young people with support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive example. Mentors are good listeners, people who care, people who want to help young people bring out strengths that are already there . . . Things that may seem easy or straightforward to you are often mysterious to young people. That's why it can be easier than you think to make a difference in a young person's life.
- Mentoring.org

In many unique and positive ways, mentors play an important role in our society. Mentors are at once teachers, role models, challengers and friends. They can guide and stimulate personal development in their charges, and offer a voice of wisdom and experience.

Mentoring can be particularly effective with children, where a mentor can supplement the life lessons received from parents and teachers, providing a new voice and set of experiences for the child to draw on.

The role of the mentor dates back to ancient times. The original Mentor was a character in the epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer. Mentor was the wise and trusted counselor to Odysseus, the King of Ithaca. When Odysseus left Ithaca to war against the Trojans, Mentor became the teacher and overseer of Telemachus, the son of Odysseus. In truth, Mentor was Athena, the goddess of wisdom, adopting the guise of a wizened old man.

Throughout history, fiction and popular culture, noteworthy mentors have played a significant role in the development of their equally-notable students: Socrates to Plato, Merlin to King Arthur, Yoda to Luke Skywalker. But mentoring is not just for philosophers and Jedi Knights!

Mentors can take on a number of different roles, particularly when working with children and youth. For example, a mentor can play a significant role in the positive growth and development of a child, can teach a teen the professional skills that will help them be successful in life, or can help an adult to better work with children.

Within our own communities, there are many different mentoring projects. Perhaps the most prominent child-adult mentoring program is Big Brothers and Big Sisters. For more than 80 years, and currently in 30 countries, Big Brothers and Big Sisters have provided children and youth with a friend and role model.

Research conducted by the Social Planning Council of Hamilton and District in 1994 found that the graduation rate of "Littles" was 20% higher than the national average, that 78% of "Littles" who came from a social assistance background were no longer reliant on assistance, and that a disproportionately high number of former "Littles" graduated from post-secondary schooling. This success underscores the most significant benefit of mentoring: children involved with these types of programs have shown a greatly increased likelihood of success in life.

While Big Brothers and Big Sisters are the most renowned mentoring programs, they are far from the only ones in the London area. Junior Achievement of London & District, the Boys and Girls Club of London and vendors at the Covent Garden Market are just a sampling of the diverse programs that offer children and youth the change to learn and grow through the support, experience and mentorship of others.

What makes a good mentor?

Becoming a mentor can be simple enough, but being a good mentor is another question entirely. Human Resources and Development Canada's Youth Internship Program sees a number of factors that contribute to being a good mentor, which are applicable to any mentoring situation:

• Commitment: a good mentor has a sincere desire to work with a young person and help him or her achieve goals.
• Willingness and ability to share: a good mentor wants to share knowledge and wisdom.
• Adaptability: a good mentor recognizes that different people have different needs.
• Approachability: a good mentor is approachable, and communicates openly and non-judgmentally.
• Availability: Mentoring requires time. Don't take on an intern if you can not give mentoring the time it needs. Good mentors are accessible.

Becoming a mentor is a great responsibility, but also a great opportunity. It is not just the children that can grow and development through this relationship. Mentors have the ability to develop their leadership skills, gain new insight through the eyes of their young charge, and take pride in making a lasting investment in the community.

Every day, thousands of children and adults take part in mentoring activities and programs. But, there are still hundreds of opportunities waiting for the right adult to step up to the challenge. Why not you?

Further reading

Mentoring - www.mentoring.org
National Mentoring Center - www.nwrel.org/mentoring/
Mentoring Canada - www.mentoringcanada.ca
Mentor Canada - www.mentorcanada.ca
Mentors Peer Resources - www.mentors.ca
Mentoring Peer Resources - www.peer.ca
The Mentoring Group - www.mentoringgroup.com
What is a Mentor? - www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/mentor/1.html
Federal Public Sector Youth Internship Program - www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/yip-psj/