Creating Mentorship Opportunities Within Youth Programs
Creating Mentorship Opportunities Within Youth Programs
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1. Remember to connect to your own mentors! It's easier to mentor others when you're being or have been mentored yourself. You can also set up mentorship opportunities for those you are asking to act as mentors.
2. Consider various forms of mentorship (e.g., adult-to-youth, youth-to-youth, youth-to-adult).
3. Bring a variety of mentors into your program - as Coordinator you don't have to know everything and can bring in others to share their perspectives and teachings.
4. Know youth's strengths and gifts so you can create opportunities for them to step into mentorship roles.
5. Create structures within your program to support mentorship (e.g., hire a combination of new and returning youth for internships, pair up younger and older youth during activities, etc.).
6. Celebrate and recognize mentors (e.g., award school credit or volunteer hours to youth mentors, provide honoraria, offer certificates or reference letters).
7. Remember one experience with a mentor can light a little spark in a youth even when you don't see it until years later.