Mentoring can help youth as they go through challenging life transitions, including dealing with stressful changes at home or transiting to adulthood. Close, healthy, supportive relationships between mentors and mentees that last for a significant portion of time are central to success.

Mentoring is often one component of a programme that involves other elements, such

as tutoring or life skills training and coaching. The supportive, healthy relationships formed between mentors and mentees are both immediate and long-term, and contribute to a host of benefits for both mentors and mentees.

Benefits for Youth

• Improved academic performance
• Lower school dropout rates
• Heathier relationships and lifestyle choices
• Better attitude about school
• Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence
• Improved behaviour both at home and at school
• Stronger relationships with parents, teachers and peers
• Improved interpersonal skills
• Decreased in likelihood of initiating drug and alcohol use (MENTOR, 2009; Cavell, DuBois, Karcher, Keller, & Rhodes, 2009)

Benefits for Mentors

Mentoring relationships are a shared responsibility for learning and growth. Many mentors would agree that the rewards they gain are substantial as those for their mentees, and that mentoring has enabled them to:

• Have fun
• Achieve personal growth and learn more about themselves
• Improve their self-esteem and feel that they are making a difference
• Gain a better understanding of other cultures and develop a greater appreciation for diversity
• Feel a sense of accomplishment
• Feel more productive and have a better attitude at work
• Enhance their relationships with their own children
• Gain insight into the challenges and aspirations of the youth
• Increase in patience and improve supervisory skills

Above all, a good mentor is willing to take the time to get to know his/her mentee, to learn new things that are important to the young person, and even to be changed by their relationship.

Source: Youth.GOV is the U.S. government website that helps to create, maintain and strengthen effective youth programmes.