This technical assistance packet is intended as a guide for those who develop programs in support of mentors of youth. It offers guidance to help mentors build trusting relationships with their mentees, and, ultimately, contribute to positive outcomes for the children and youth in the mentoring program. Successful mentoring programs provide…

It is estimated that up to 10% of the U.S. population is lesbian or gay. Being a member of a sexual minority group places youth at risk. Along with the challenges all adolescents deal with, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth must cope with prejudice, discrimination, and violence in schools or in their families. While mentoring programs…

All mentoring programs have to make decisions about which available adult volunteer to match with which specific child or youth. The issue of same-race matching is often a particularly difficult one for these programs. In the section "The Question of Race," this technical assistance packet provides an overview of the debate over same-race and…

Mentoring programs enrich children's lives, help meet their need for positive adult contact, and provide one-on-one support and advocacy. Positive mentoring experiences have proved to be an effective tool to help youth overcome the risk factors that can lead to problems such as educational failure, dropping out of school, and involvement in…

Recruiting mentors is a continuous challenge for most programs. A systematic recruitment plan, carefully developed and implemented, will increase a program's chances for success. Drawing from effective practices used by volunteer-based organizations and research findings about mentoring, the material in this document describes recruitment…