Forming on-campus connections and receiving natural mentoring are essential aspects of the college experience, particularly for students of color and transfer students. These connections can be transformative, offering valuable support and guidance as students navigate the complexities of higher education (Monjaras-Gaytan & Sanchez, 2023). For students of color, finding a sense of belonging on campus is often crucial to their overall success and well-being. By connecting with peers, faculty, and staff who share their backgrounds or have a deep understanding of their unique challenges, thes ..read more

When Caroline County Public Schools noticed that their students were having difficulties with truancy, self-esteem,  social skills, conflict with other peers and staff, and  grades, they decided to create a mentoring program. In June of 2022, a committee comprised of five representatives from each school in the Caroline County Public School System began developing their mentor program and creating a handbook. During the summer, the Division Coordinator began promoting the program to recruit mentors.  After school returned in August, school Coordinators also recruited mento ..read more

High Tech Kids is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that aims to promote youth STEM programs in Minnesota. High Tech Kids delivers fun, hands-on STEM programs through team-based robotics that inspire Minnesota youth to build confidence, create opportunities, and thrive as the next generation of innovators. Coaches/mentors help kids learn how to collaborate, solve real-world problems, and become leaders as they prepare for events to showcase their work. Since its inception, High Tech Kids has helped over 67,0000 students discover the joys of science and technology, and with the help of mo ..read more

Loneliness and social isolation are big challenges facing youth today. The U.S. Surgeon General recently released reports on the importance of protecting youth mental health [1] and the epidemic of loneliness and isolation [2]. One common theme between these reports is that typical ways of connecting and building relationships are changing, and youth mental health is suffering as a result. This has important implications because youth loneliness and social isolation are associated with negative outcomes such as depression, substance use, and suicide attempts. For other youth, the desire for a ..read more

Author note: We have written many times on the NMRC website about Participatory Action Research, particularly youth-led forms of this work, which is an excellent strategy for empowering youth voice and for connecting young people to community issues they care most about. The post below offers a brief case study of one youth-led participatory action project that some of the NMRC Research Board members are involved in. We offer this as an example of what this work can look like and hope it inspires other programs to consider similar efforts. Young people have the capacity to create knowledge. Wi ..read more

6. How do you implement self-care for a healthy school/work/life balance? a. When possible, I make an effort to schedule the things I need to do around my own personal preferences instead of what I think would save the most time etc. Reminding myself that my body is not a machine in auto mode. I’ve also been making it a point to have a couple of seconds to myself to reflect on how a certain environment or activity made me feel. Understanding and managing my own thoughts and emotions has greatly helped when it comes to reinforcing that balancing act in life. To me, self-care isn’t a timed momen ..read more

4. What are some tips for networking in-person and online? a. I am a generally shy individual, so when faced with my first opportunity to network, I tended to stick with the people I knew and didn’t put myself out there to connect with others. For me, that shyness was something I knew I could overcome by changing my mindset about the concept of networking itself. Rather than solely viewing it as a means to achieve professional success, I chose to see it as a way to meet new people without the pretense of “using them” in the future. When meeting someone in person, it’s always beneficial to pres ..read more

 1. How do you ask someone you would like to mentor you? (assuming this is a non-facilitated situation/environment) a. Asking someone about a possible mentorship can be a scary task. But often, people are excited about having the opportunity to pass on their knowledge to the next generation of people in their field. Start with a compliment or a general reasoning for why you are drawn to them as a person. What about where they are in their education or career, and their character makes you want to be their mentee? Next, explain your goals. What do you hope to gain from the mentorship? This ..read more

Girls Breaking Chains Inc. is a Christian nonprofit organization supporting young girls impacted by parental incarceration. Their organization is founded on the belief that every girl deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of her circumstances. Through mentorship, support groups, and scholarships, they provide supportive services to girls ages 10-17 to overcome the pain of being separated from an incarcerated parent.  The founder, Tynecia Estrada, has 25 years of lived experience with an incarcerated parent.  She understands the impact associated with a parent who is in jail ..read more

While there are high rates of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) families and youth looking for support from mentoring programs,[1] the disproportionate number of White volunteer mentors in the U.S. presents considerations for mentoring practice to effectively serve BIPOC families, such as mentor cultural responsiveness, supervision, training, and education. An analysis of data from the Volunteering Supplement of the Current Population Survey (sponsored by the U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics) found that the majority of volunteer mentors identified as White (77 ..read more