This page presents a collection of internet articles about why mentoring is important.
- Mentoring Impact. Mentoring, at its core, guarantees young people that there is someone who cares about them, assures them they are not alone in dealing with day-to-day challenges, and makes them feel like they matter. Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young people in a variety of personal, academic, and professional situations. Ultimately, mentoring connects a young person to personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunity. Yet one in three young people will grow up without this critical asset. Source: Mentoring.org.
- 7 Reasons Why You Should Become a Mentor. You have the potential to change a young person’s life. It will get you to stop thinking about yourself all the time. It will help you stay hip and keep up with the times. You are helping build a better, more stable society. The life you end up changing could be your own. Source: HuffPost.
- 6 Reasons to Mentor a Teen. Improve Listening Skills. We often hear from tweens and teens that it’s rare they feel adults listen to them. As a mentor to teens, here is a chance to hone your listening skills further. Allow mentees to tell you what they need, and explain what kind of support they want to achieve their goals. Listening also gives them a chance to offer suggestions or try things they’ve been too shy or intimidated to speak up about. Only when you’ve listened to, and really heard your mentee, will you make the most appropriate suggestions. Source: Center for Parent & Teen Communication.
- Why Mentor a Child. Reducing their first-time drug and alcohol use. Improving their relationships. Improving academic performance. Reducing the likelihood that they will initiate violence. Reducing the likelihood of teen pregnancy. Source: Mentoring Impact.
- Why Mentor. Children with mentors in their lives are 52% less likely to skip school, 46% less likely to use illegal drugs and 26% less likely to use alcohol than those children without mentors. Source: Mentor Foundation USA.
- Mentoring Youth Matters. A five year study sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada found that children with mentors were more confident and had fewer behavioral problems. Girls in the study were four times less likely to become bullies than those without a mentor and boys were two times less likely. In general, young people showed increased belief in their abilities to succeed in school and felt less anxiety related to peer pressure.
- 3 Reasons Why Every Teen Should Have a Mentor. Teens don’t always want to open up to their parents about their struggles. Your teen’s friends don’t have the wisdom, life experience, and brain maturity to consistently guide your adolescent in making healthy choices. Sometimes you need other adults to see your teen’s greatness.
The following are more “professional” than social service but still helpful.
- Top 5 Reasons Why Mentoring Matters. Mentees perform better. Develop new skills. Creates a better workplace environment. Retention. Rewarding.