New study confirms benefits of mentoring

     A new study conducted by a nationally-recognized researcher of youth mentoring programs has confirmed that mentoring not only improves outcomes for young people, but they can also improve these outcomes at the same time.  The specific outcomes that showed improvement were in the areas of academic achievement, behavior and social/emotional health.

     This study was lead by David DuBois, Ph.D., who is a member of the Research and Policy Council for the National Mentoring Partnership as well as a professor of community health services at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  DuBois and his colleagues used more than 70 evaluations of mentoring programs from the past decade for their analysis.

     In addition to the improvements mentioned above, the study also found that establishing an effective mentoring relationship can happen for young people of any age.  In the report, DuBois notes that these findings “speak to the universal importance of caring relationships for us as social animals, whatever our age.” He also stated, “Mentoring is a strategic intervention that gives communities a way to multiply their support for young people.”

     The following are a few of the highlights from this study:

- Mentoring programs over the past decade have been most effective with young people who have pre-existing difficulties or are exposed to higher levels of environmental risk.  However, the study noted that most mentoring programs likely are not well-positioned to handle the demands of young people with severe problems.

- Programs matching mentors and mentees according to their interests have yielded greater benefits for participating youth.

- Mentees have benefited more in programs that are structured to have mentors offer guidance and act as advocates for their mentees. However, the authors of the report cautioned that it is important for programs to find ways for mentors to take on these roles without crossing boundaries and becoming over-involved in the youth's life.

- And finally, they found that more research is needed to determine how well mentoring benefits hold up over time.

     Dr. Larry Wright, who is the president and CEO of the National Mentoring Partnership, said this type of research continues to let us know what works in helping children achieve their potential, which is the ultimate goal for youth mentoring programs across the country.

     This is great news, because it gives scientific credibility to what we in the youth mentoring field are striving for—to have a positive impact on the life of a child.  While mentors may not always be able to see these results firsthand, I hope that you mentors take some comfort in knowing that what you’re doing can and does make a difference.

First Lady speaks at mentoring summit

I recently came across the transcript of a speech given by First Lady Michelle Obama at the National Mentoring Summit that was held back in January.  While I am not able to include the entire speech due to space, I did want to share some of her remarks because I think she did a fantastic job of highlighting the need for mentoring.  Here is what the First Lady had to say:

“You’re all here today because you know that in today’s world, having a mentor is more important than ever before.  And that’s because, in many ways, being a kid today is tougher than ever before.

“Right now, more young people are growing up in single-parent homes, and more of those parents are working multiple jobs and longer hours just to make ends meet.
More kids are growing up outside of those tight-knit neighborhoods that many of us remember; you know, those neighborhoods where folks looked out for each others’ kids and told on you when you weren’t doing what you were supposed to do.

“And even though our children are connecting to the world and to each other in ways we never could have imagined, sometimes the messages they receive promote instant gratification over hard work and perseverance.  And I know that all that can be a little overwhelming.

“And then when you add in the age-old struggles of just plain old growing up –- the anxiety, the confusion, the academic and the social pressure –- you’ve got an entire generation of young people truly in desperate need of a friend, someone they can trust, an example they can follow.

“And that’s where all of you come in.  That’s why mentors are so important.  You all are reaching out to kids who do have big, gigantic dreams and plenty of talent, but they don’t always have enough guidance.
And as all of you know, mentoring doesn’t have to require a huge commitment.  It doesn’t take much.  It can be as simple as taking your kid to the zoo, maybe shooting some hoops...  Kids don’t need you to be Superman.  They just need you to be there.  They need you to be someone they can count on.

“And that’s really the core of mentoring.  It’s about building that trust.  It’s about providing comfort and stability in a world that often lacks both.   And it’s about showing young people that the world is filled with opportunities, and then helping them seize those opportunities.

“As mentors, you’re planting a seed that may not take root for years.  But let me tell you, when it does, the benefits are undeniable.”

As the new school year approaches, we are expecting to see several new children who will be looking for a mentor to spend time with them and let them know that they are important to someone.  If you have ever considered mentoring, or you know someone who you think would make a good mentor, give us a call at 696-0976.   You can make a new friend as you make a difference in the life of  a child.



I realize it's not yet time for my regular monthly comlun, but I stumbled upon this video on You Tube and just had to share it.  This is a commercial that ran back in January during National Mentoring Month, but the message is one that should be shared all year long.  If you have ever considered becoming a mentor to a young child, now is the time.

Online mentor training available

I recently learned about a new online training program that is available to our mentors at no cost.  Produced by a company called Education Northwest, this program uses video stories with real mentors, real youth and real situations to illustrate common challenges faced by today’s mentors.  The videos also help provide mentors with proven strategies they can use in their interactions and relationship-building with their mentees.

This program is called “Talking it Through: Communication Skills for Mentors.”  While this is a free resource, it is all done online and requires a high-speed internet connection.  All you have to do to start benefitting from this free online training program is to complete the free online registration process.  Simply go online to http://talkingitthrough.educationnorthwest.org and click on the button marked “Log in to get started!”  Once you have registered for the program you can start watching the videos and responding to the questions provided.  I have done several of the video lessons, and I have found them to be very interesting and interactive.  You will be asked to answer questions or give your thoughts about what is going on in the video in order to watch each subsequent part of the lesson.

Through these lessons, mentors will learn how to handle difficult situations and challenges through consistent recommended approaches, empathize with mentees by noticing verbal and nonverbal cues, and help youth identify their options and provide recommendations without judgment or coercion.  In addition, these lessons will help mentors to learn how to redirect mentee requests that are outside the boundaries of the mentor/mentee relationship and know when to refer them to program staff and/or adhere to mandatory reporting requirements.

I will caution you that some of the policies that are addressed in the lessons do not match up with the policies for our program.  For example, the mentoring program used as an example in one of the lessons states that mentors are not allowed to give their personal cell phone numbers to their mentee.  Community Connections Mentoring does not have this type of restriction.  However, this lesson will still help you to figure out how to set appropriate boundaries with your mentee.

“Talking it Through” includes 13 video stories that are 3-7 minutes in length.  The website also includes tips and resources, learning checks and a printable journal so you can take notes on what you have learned.   I strongly urge all of our mentors to complete this free online training program.  If you don’t have a computer or your internet speed in not fast enough to watch the streaming videos, please contact me and we’ll see what we can do for you.

Survey shows the impact of mentoring

Last month, we talked about how spending just a little bit of time with a young person can make a big difference when the time spent is one-on-one, intentional and focused.  Of course, this is no surprise for those of you who have been involved in mentoring for any length of time.

So exactly what benefit do children receive from this one-on-one time with an adult mentor?  Well, a national study conducted by the National Mentoring Partnership found that youth who meet regularly with a mentor are 46 percent less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27 percent less likely to start drinking.  In addition, students who meet regularly with a mentor are 52 percent less likely to skip a day of school and 37 percent less likely to skip a class.

We recently surveyed the kids in our program about the benefits they have experienced.  Eighty-three percent of the kids who responded said that because of their mentoring relationship they have higher expectations of themselves, they have more interests and hobbies and they feel more confident in themselves.  In addition, 83 percent said they now feel it’s important to help others as a result of their mentoring relationship, and they feel there are people who will help them out if they need it.

Three quarters of the kids reported having a better attitude towards school, being more honest and having a more positive view of the future as a result of mentoring.  Seventy-five percent also reported that they feel like there are adults who care about them.  And finally, 92 percent said they feel happy when they are with their mentor, and 83 percent of respondents said their mentor makes them feel special.

 Aside from the statistics, many of the children commented on the things they’ve learned through mentoring and how it has changed how they feel about themselves.  Here are just a few of their comments:

·    I’ve learned you can do good things before bad things.

·    I’ve learned how to be more responsible.

·    I feel like I can trust more people.

·    I encourage myself.

I hope this information is encouraging to those of you who are currently serving as a mentor in our program.  The work you do is truly making a difference in the lives of the children in North Platte.  Here is just a sample of what our mentors had to say about their experience:

·    I have gained a richer outlook on life. She has enhanced my life so much!

·    I have found that kids are wonderful, and although their lives are much different than when I was that age, there are still many things that are the same.  It is wonderful seeing them find their way; I am anxious to see them grow and succeed.

·    I have had a wonderful time and found a beautiful little girl that makes me feel as if I also matter to someone.

I will close with my favorite quote from our survey.  This comment came from one of the kids in our program.  While the survey is anonymous, I hope that this child’s mentor will recognize who the message is from and know how much she is truly appreciated by her mentee:

“My mentor is nice, awesome and sweet.  She takes me to McDonalds.  I love going to McDonalds.”

Taking a closer look at the 'village'

Milton Creagh

     I recently attended the annual conference of the Nebraska Juvenile Justice Association.  Over the years, I’ve attended a lot of conferences, and I’ve had mixed feelings about the value and usefulness of the information that I’ve received.  However, this particular conference was not only worthwhile but also extremely interesting and engaging.  I returned home excited at the prospect of using this information to improve and enhance our mentoring program.

     One of the highlights of the conference was the keynote address by Milton Creagh, a motivational speaker and radio show host who speaks to more than 200,000 junior and senior high school students each year.  Creagh made reference to the popular saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.”  If this proverb is true, then Creagh feels we need to take a serious look at the village.  Back in the days when parents lived in the same house for their entire lives, this “village” was primarily made up of the people in their respective neighborhoods.  These families knew the names of everybody who lived on their block, and they all looked out for one another.

     Today, families often change neighborhoods several times as they upgrade from a starter home to a family home to a dream home and eventually to a retirement home.  In addition, modern conveniences like air conditioning and the electric clothes dryer allow us to remain indoors instead of going outside to interact with our neighbors over the backyard fence or from our front porches on a hot summer day.  Creagh noted that the electric garage door opener has also inhibited interaction with our neighbors because it allows us to enter our house without even having to step outside.

     As a result, today’s kids are being raised by a much different village—one that’s largely shaped by technology.  Neighborhood friends have been replaced by Facebook friends, and texting has replaced face-to-face interactions.  The solution for this dilemma, according to Creagh, can be found in relationships.  He said we as adults need to take time to interact with kids and show them how to form relationships.  Otherwise, this vital social skill will primarily be shaped by television, movies, music and YouTube.

     Creagh concluded by noting that this process of modeling healthy relationships for kids does not have to be difficult.  Simply investing a few minutes of time can reap huge benefits.  Of course, this is no surprise to those of us involved in mentoring.  We have seen first hand how an hour a week spent with a young person can make a big difference for that child when the time spent is one-on-one, intentional and focused.  At its most basic level, mentoring helps children simply because it lets them know that there’s someone out there who truly cares about them.

     Next month, we’ll examine these benefits more closely as we report the results of our annual survey.

Allow kids to share their expertise



Nick Sydow teaches a Linden Estates
resident to play Wii Bowling.

In any mentoring relationship, one of the key components is the shared experience that occurs when one party introduces the other to something that has never been tried before.  Typically this occurs when the mentor passes on his or her knowledge to their mentee, or when the mentor introduces the young person to a new hobby or activity.

Take hunting or fishing for example.  The master fisherman passes on the knowledge he or she has accumulated either from his own mentor or through years of trial and error.  Another example of this can be seen when an adult teaches a child to bake cookies, or in building a model together.  However, it’s not always the adult that has to be the expert.  Often a child can share experiences with a mentor.

We saw a great example of this when we took the students from our Life Skills class at Madison Middle School to visit the residents at Linden Estates.  This was during the early stages of our partnership with the assisted living facility, so we were trying to come up with activities that would help the students and residents interact with each other in a fun and non-threatening way.

For this particular visit, we learned that the assisted living facility had recently purchased a Wii video game system but didn’t know how to use it.  Playing video games is second nature for today’s youth, especially middle school students.  So we had no shortage of kids willing to teach the residents how to play.  They started with what they thought would be a simple game – Wii Bowling.

Imagine trying to explain how to operate the Wii remote control to someone who has rarely (if ever) played a video game.  When it came time for the residents to throw their virtual bowling ball, the instructions were simple enough: hold down the B-button, swing the controller forward, and let go of the button.  Needless to say it took a while for the residents to catch on.  I could sense some frustration from the kids, but I think they handled it well and showed a lot of patience.

As a mentor, don’t feel like you must always be the one in control.  Look for activities that give your mentee an opportunity to share their knowledge and expertise with you.  If you don’t have a Facebook page yet, ask them to help you set one up.  If you have some photos you would like to show off, have your mentee show you how to create a power point presentation or a digital video slideshow.  And if you haven’t played Wii Bowling yet, give it a go.  After all, a gutter ball is not so bad when there isn’t a room full of other bowlers there to see it.

Make a friend while making a difference - become a mentor today!

Think about the people who had the biggest impact on your life when you were growing up. Perhaps it was a coach, a teacher, a pastor, or a favorite uncle. Now imagine what your life would be like today if you had not had these people in your life. Sadly, that is what life is like for many of today's youth.


These kids need a positive and stable adult influence in their lives. Some are kids who are growing up in a single-parent home and need a positive male role model. Other just need a dependable person who can open up the world to them by introducing them to new experiences. You can have that type of positive and lasting impact on the life of a child by becoming a mentor.


Mentoring is often as simple as engaging in what appears ordinary to most of us . . . helping a child with homework, playing games, talking, listening, or even just letting a child run errands with you. But to a child without a role model, these ordinary activities become extraordinary.


To find out more about mentoring opportunities in North Platte, Neb., and how you can get involved, call Community Connections Mentoring at 308-696-0976 or go online to http://www.communityconnectionslc.org/.