Becoming a Mentor

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SOME WAYS TO REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE NEXT YEAR?  WHY NOT BE A MENTOR?

HERE ARE SOME EASY WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

As another year draws to a close we all experience a time of reflection and evaluation. It is also a time to set goals or develop New Year’s Resolutions. A great activity to add to your list is to be a Mentor. What a win-win situation!  It feels so good to help others. And whatever your profession, there are children out there who would love to hear what you have to say about it. And they will benefit too.

What is mentoring?

It is the presence of caring individuals who, along with parents or guardians, provide youth with support, advice, friendship, reinforcement and constructive example.  A mentor is a teacher or advisor who leads through guidance and example.

You Can Make a Difference:

  • Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52 percent less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37 percent less likely to skip a class.  (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters)
  • Youth who meet regularly with their mentors are 46 percent less likely than their peers to start using illegal drugs and 27 percent less likely to start drinking. They are one-third less likely to hit someone.  (Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters)

How can you get involved?  Here are some ideas:

  • Be a Big Brother or Big Sister
  • Be a Junior Achievement Volunteer.
  • Mentor a high school student to help him/her explore career interests. Let them come to work with you to see what you do.
  • Lead a business skills or entrepreneurship program in a school or youth-service agency.
  • Donate toys, clothes, and school materials to mentoring agencies.
  • Serve as a mentoring  coordinator at your organization or in your neighborhood.
  • If already working with or volunteering with a youth,  as a coach or a youth club sponsor, offer to mentor in addition.
  • Volunteer for a scouting program.
  • Lend Expertise
  • Make regular contributions to mentoring agencies.
  • Help a young entrepreneur start a business.
  • Attend fund raisers for mentoring agencies

Bottom line is – if you’ve got the time, it’s easy to get involved and you CAN make a difference!

Tagged