Mentoring Programs for Youth: How to Create a Successful Mentoring Program for Youth

Mentoring Programs for Youth: How to Create a Successful Mentoring Program for Youth

Are you wanting to create mentoring programs for youth? Congratulations you have taken the first step in helping our youth build and maintain a strong foundation for the future. In order to create mentoring programs one must be dedicated and committed not only to the person with whom they are mentoring but to themselves as well. One cannot teach without first being taught. Below are some guidelines which will hopefully help you in establishing a successful mentoring program: Personalized mentoring 1) First off, it takes a very special and hard-working individual to be able to become a successful mentor for today's youth. It takes a long time to establish a foundation and then a lifetime to build and maintain that trust that one needs from a successful role model in their life. Here are a few qualities that one should possess if they desire to be an effective youth mentor:

* Be an active participant; get out and get involved with all aspects of your youth's life. One cannot just say, "do as I say, and not as I do." We learn best by example and involvement.

* Be positive - things aren't always going to be great, but by finding a positive way to always look at things they can be better.

* Be a good listener; sometimes all we need is a good ear and to get things off our chest.

* Learn to laugh - they say its the best medicine.

* Be honest - honesty is the best policy. Without honesty you have nothing established with the youth in your life or in any relationship you will have for that matter. Honesty is the best foundation for a long lasting and successful relationship.

Now that you've decided that you've got what it takes to be an effective and positive role model for someone in their lives, you then need to decide on which mentoring method is best for you.

2) Decide on which type of mentoring would benefit the youth in your life the most.

There are two types of mentoring which one can choose to involve themselves with and they are as follows:

a) One-on-One Mentoring

With one-on-one mentoring, which is the most common type, you establish a long-lasting and trusting relationship with a specific youth in your life. With this method you create a relationship in which the youth feels like he/she can turn to you for all aspects in their lives. Whether it be for advice, support or encouragement, you play a very important role in all aspects of their lives and create a role model for them to look up to and confide in.

7S Leadership Competencies b) Group Mentoring

With group mentoring many individuals get together to share their thoughts, problems and support in a group and social setting versus the one-on-one method. You still play a very important lead as a guide to their involvement however have less of a personal bond with each student. In group mentoring the individuals work together more as a social entity than on an individual basis. With this method they support each other and learn to communicate with many different people and problems as opposed to placing all their trust into one person. For some, this method works extremely well, however, for others they may find it too unnerving and may have a hard time interacting with larger groups as opposed to smaller groups or the one-on-one method.

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