In the context of this paper, social pedagogy concerns how a person trained in social pedagogy can take up the role of a trusted and caring adult to help, support and empower troubled and vulnerable pupils to meet the demands they face in their lives so that they are better able to lead fulfilling and satisfying lives and can, in their turn,…

A University of Canberra (Australia) program pairs new researchers with experienced researchers as mentors. Mentoring is supplemented with a workshop on research skills and on researchers' issues, questions, and projects. Participants benefitted from support of mentors and other peers. Mentors assisted participants with specific aspects of their…

This guidebook is part of a series of program materials for a school-based intervention process to help at-risk students stay in school. It is intended for participating adults and begins by giving them a quick look at the extent of the dropout problem nationwide. The booklet goes on to provide a discussion of the basic steps of the helping…

Describes two initiatives--Education for Our Multicultural Society/Success for Everyone and KWESI--illustrating Birmingham Local Education Authority's (LEA's) efforts to enhance racial equity and improve schools. These initiatives demonstrate the LEA as policymaker, providing a clear sense of vision and purpose, and as an enabler and facilitator…

This study examined the operating characteristics of six Campus Partners in Learning programs, which team college and university students as mentors with teenagers and younger youth. The project involved four separate but closely interrelated studies: (1) an implementation study; (2) a relationship formation study; (3) an outcomes study that…

This descriptive study examines the operation of youth mentoring programs in New York City. In particular, the study maps the experiences of developing and operating youth mentoring programs as articulated by the organizers or directors of 21 such programs; reviews and analyzes the research and descriptions of mentoring programs nationally to…

Mount Ida College (Massachusetts) has found the use of college administrators as mentors to students, complementing academic advising and faculty mentoring, to be an effective approach to strengthening the tie between first-year college students and their institutions. The impact has been noticeable in the campus culture as well as in student…

This newsletter, created for teachers, parents, and others interested in current educational themes, addresses the issue of mentoring, what it is, how it works, and why it is needed; and provides some examples of current mentoring programs. It explains that there are two types of mentoring: natural, such as through friends, relatives, and…

A study of minority graduate student needs at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (Tennessee) found three areas needing improvement: (1) recruiting efforts; (2) social support; and (3) cultural environment. A mentoring program was then designed to address these needs by providing a personal and academic support network for minority students,…