How Mentoring Helps

At its most basic level, mentoring helps because it guarantees a young person that there is someone who cares about them. Think back. Did you know how to study for a test or make plans for college? Do you remember wanting your first car or looking for a part-time job? Simple things that seem easy or straightforward to you now may appear to be a complete mystery to a young person.



Mentors provide their mentees with an experienced friend who is always ready to help in any number of different situations. Research shows that mentoring:

· Increases the self-esteem of young people;

· Increases student academic success;

· Increases positive social interaction by youth;

· Reduces the risk that young people will use illegal drugs;

· Reduces the risk that youth will begin using alcohol; and

· Reduces the risk that students will skip school.


Mentors help keep students in school. According to a study by Big Brothers Big Sisters, students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52% less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37% less likely to skip a class. While mentors are not expected to be teachers or even tutors, by their encouragement and support, mentors can help with homework and can improve academic skills.


The commitment that a mentor makes to the relationship also helps improve a young person's self-esteem. A strong mentor / mentee relationship provides the student someone to share with and to discuss other options with. It provides support for students who are being influenced by peers to try at-risk behaviors and helps them say "no". The results of the same Big Brother Big Sister study showed that youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46% less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27% less likely to start drinking.



Mentors help young people strengthen their communication skills. About 40% of teenager's waking hours are spent without companionship or supervision. Mentors provide teens with a valuable place to spend free time and teach young people how to relate well to all kinds of people. Mentors may also introduce young people to community resources and organizations they may not know about and teach them how them can use their skills to help others.



Mentors help young people set career goals and start taking steps to realize them. Mentors can use their personal contacts to help young people meet industry professionals, find internships and locate job possibilities. Through their mentors, mentees can learn how to seek and keep jobs.


The number of ways mentoring can help a youth are as varied as the participants involved in each program; and while the lists and statistics can be impressive, nothing could ever be as impressive as the way you will feel when you see a child grow into a successful young adult and know that you held an important role in their development.