Empowering At-Risk Youth with Mentoring Programs, by Gabriela Arevalo Avellaneda

Maria is an eight-year-old girl who loves to complete crossword puzzles, and, despite her adamant denial, she secretly enjoys reading. Until recently, this description of Maria was difficult to imagine, let alone considered possible. Two years ago Maria’s father was arrested for driving while intoxicated and was deported back to his native country of Mexico. This event left Maria and her siblings in a state of chaos and despair. The sudden disruption in her life caused her to act out in school and display negative behaviors towards her peers and family. However, now, in less than a year, her negative attitude towards school and family changed for the better. Maria continues to demonstrate improvement in her academic and emotional behavior.

The negative beginning of Maria’s story is all too common in large urban school districts where students of color and low-economic status make up the majority of the population. A majority of low-income children are “at-risk” to encounter traumatic events that lead to behavioral, social-emotional, and educational problems because these children lack the guidance and support needed from adults in their lives. This is compounded with the finding that, according to the National Center for Children in Poverty, children who are affected by multiple risk factors like poverty and a single parent household are at a greater risk for experiencing difficulty in school and other adverse social and emotional effects, including increasingly negative behavior (Robbins, Stagman, & Smith, 2012).

Fortunately, just after Maria’s world began to unravel, a local inner-city ministry that Maria’s family attends selected her to participate in a mentoring program for at-risk youth. This helped her not to become one of the negative statistics mentioned above; instead, Maria was carefully paired with an adult who grew up in similar circumstances and could support her academic needs. Maria was paired with a female Latina teacher, and I am teacher. Through this program, I was able to provide Maria with support and encouragement during a critical time in her life. This relationship is an example of what positive mentoring can do for an “at-risk” child.

Research supports this evidence provided by my personal experience. Studies conducted by The National Mentoring Partnership (NMP) and the Youth Organization suggests that mentored at-risk youth make more behavioral, socio-emotional and educational gains in comparison to their non-mentored peers (Benefits of Mentoring Young People, 2015). At-risk youth who participate in a mentoring program are more likely to make healthier lifestyle choices, have an enhanced self-esteem, and self-confidence. The self-confidence a student derives from a supportive relationship ultimately results in an improved attitude towards school.

The evidence that shows the importance of mentoring is further supported in a private two-part study conducted by the NMP. The researchers in this study surveyed 722 mentoring programs nationwide in an attempt to explore volunteers’ experiences and relationship development within the two one-on-one mentoring programs: community-based programs and school-based programs (Herrera, McClanahan & Sipe, 2000). The study focused on specific variables such as: mentor and mentee compatibility, amount of time spent with youth, types of activities, quality of interactions, and mentor training. Evidence from the study suggests that at-risk youth who have college educated mentors displayed increased high school graduation rates, lower dropout rates, and higher college enrollment rates when compared to non-mentored youth.

However, as a teacher in a school (in addition to my mentor duties), I know that schools often treat academic deficiencies with additional work, tutorials, or remedial courses. In doing so, schools fail to recognize, or simply ignore, the fact that risk factors directly affect a student’s daily life and negatively influence their behavior and attitudes about education. For example, every year my school offers enrichment classes, intervention classes, and an extended week despite little evidence of success.

Instead schools should understand the value in mentoring and recognize the numerous benefits that can be derived from a mentoring relationship. Mentoring provides relationships that empower youth to overcome negative risk factors by encouraging students to have a voice and choice in the relationship. Providing youth with a safe, consistent, and reliable environment is vital to a successful mentoring relationship. When youth feel safe they are able and more willing to engage in activities such as talking openly and writing about their feelings. These types of activities allow the adult to address a youth’s needs and nurture their strengths.

While creating these mentoring programs, schools also have to be sure they implement them correctly. Schools should ensure that these programs engage primarily in social activities that allow for the building of positive relationships between mentors and mentees. An emphasis on only academic activities can hinder the development of a close and supportive relationship (Herrera et al., 2000). Additionally, it is important to note that these programs should be offered at developmentally appropriate time for children. Herrera, McClanahan, and Sipe (2000) report findings of a study conducted by NMP, which claim that elementary school age students reap more benefits and develop higher rates of supportive relationships. Because school aged youth are at an impressionable age, they are more likely to benefit from these mentoring relationships, and to continue the relationship into middle school and high school (Herrera et al., 2000).

Another key to an effective mentoring program is to provide an environment that offers quality activities for engagement rather than sitting for a required number of hours in a building. Research on mentoring continues to identify key characteristics of successful mentoring relationships, which include factors such as: the quality and frequency of interactions, emotional connection, and engagement in activities that interest the mentee (Herrera, 2000 & Youth.gov, 2015). The NMP’s (2000) survey of 722 mentoring programs also found that mentors and mentees who are matched according to common interests have a greater chance of establishing a positive relationship than matchings where mentor and youth only share the same gender and ethnicity.

When establishing a mentoring program all stakeholders must understand that mentoring is a long-term commitment between the mentor and mentee. One-on-one mentoring programs, whether community-based or school-based, must take deliberate actions to ensure that mentees are matched with mentors who have the greatest probability of developing a successful relationship. It is imperative that mentors are adequately informed about expectations for interactions and are trained in dealing with any challenges that may arise prior to the start of any mentoring relationship (Successful Relationships, 2015).

Further, when schools are unable to provide a school-based mentoring program, it is the school’s responsibility to assist families in accessing a mentoring program in the community by connecting them to other programs. As an extension of the community, school leaders must create partnerships with families and enlist community resources to enrich students’ emotional, social, and academic growth (Epstein, 2011). Mentoring programs exist in a multitude of structures and organizations such as: religious centers, afterschool enrichment programs, peer-based mentoring, and site-based career mentoring.

As a reading teacher and Maria’s mentor, I value and recognize the impact I am making in the hour we spend together each week. Over the last two years, what began with a begrudging six-year-old who only enjoyed completing the crossword puzzles at the end of a reading activity, has blossomed into an eight-year-old eager to share the latest events in her chapter book. My childhood experiences allowed me to share an initial connection with Maria which made it possible for her to open up about her social, emotional, and academic struggles. Our friendship continues to empower Maria to talk about her concerns and allows me to give her the strategies to deal with the emotional trauma in her life. Today, my primary role as a mentor is to inspire Maria and to celebrate her achievements. Ultimately, my aim is to challenge Maria to see her future and believe she can obtain it. Based on all of the literature and research on mentoring, there is little doubt Maria will encounter obstacles that she will not be able to overcome with the help of a caring and committed mentor.

References

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. (2013, January 15). Youth mentoring linked to many positive effects, new study shows. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 21, 2015 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130115143850.htm

Epstein, J. (2011). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools. Baltimore, MD: Westview Press.

Herrera, C., Sipe, C., and McClanahan, W. (2000). Mentoring school-age children: Relationship development in community-based and school-based programs. The National Mentoring Partnership, 27-36. Retrieved from: http://ppv.issuelab.org/resource/mentoring_school_age_children_relationship_development_in_community_based_and_school_based_programs

Robbins, T., Stagman, S., and Smith, S. (2012, October). Young children at risk: National and state prevalence of risk factors. National Center for Children in Poverty. Retrieved on July 21 from http://www.nccp.org/publications/pdf/text_1073.pdf

Youth.gov. (2015, July 15). Benefits of mentoring young people. Retrieved from: http://youth.gov/youth-topics/mentoring/benefits-mentoring-young-people

Youth.gov. (2015, July 21). Successful Relationships and Programs. Retrieved from: http://youth.gov/youth-topics/mentoring/benefits-mentoring-young-people

Gabriela Arevalo Avellaneda, M.Ed., is an instructional coach in a Title 1 urban school district where she has worked since 2009. Previously she worked as a reading teacher. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Texas A&M University and a Master’s degree in Public School Administration in 2015. Avellaneda has spent over two years volunteering as a mentor and uses her own childhood experiences as a mentee, in addition to her educational background, to serve as a model and mentor to at-risk youth in her local community.