Mentored young people are 46% less likely to get involved with drugs. (Source: Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America)
59% improve their grades. (Source: Career Beginnings)
86% went on to higher education. (Source: Proctor & Gamble)
80% of youth involved in the juvenile detention system who received a mentor did not return to that system. (Source: Prison Fellowship)
What is high-impact STEM mentoring?
Definition
Experiential Learning
What are our goals?
Overall goals
Numbers goal
What is mentoring not?
Acting as a parent. The mentee holds the reins, not the mentor. The mentor might sense that
the mentee would like them to take control and ‘babysit’ them, in which case they should make
it clear that the responsibility lies with the mentee.
Being the mentee's friend. That doesn’t mean the mentor should be completely detached –of course, they can be friendly! But this role means the mentor can be completely honest –
perhaps sometimes even blunt – in a way that would be difficult for a friend. It’s important that the mentor doesn’t let the boundaries become blurred.
Dispensing discipline. Just as the mentor is not there to look after the mentee, they are not
there to tell them off if they make a mistake or aren’t working hard enough. If the mentor
notices the mentee isn’t pulling their weight, they should simply tell them so. The mentee’s success or failure is not the mentor’s role– it’s their own.
Being a god. No matter how much experience and knowledge the mentor has, they are not
expected to have all the answers. Their role is not to tell the mentee what to do, but to guide,
support and encourage them to progress along their own path.
