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Defining Mentorship - BBW Participants Group 2 - Google Jamboard

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Watch and Read. Then,  place your name in the title and then write your comments below using the following questions as a guide:
- Why is creating a connection so important to an effective mentor/mentee relationship?

- How do you anticipate connecting with the young adult students during the time that you have with them in the program?

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Program Outcomes:  By the end of the program, participating Bath & Body Works Associates will be able to:

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Program Outcomes:  By the end of the program, participating Bath & Body Works Associates will be able to:

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Identify roles and responsibilities of the mentor and mentee

Identify personal strengths and challenges as part of the mentor/mentee relationship

Establish a system of communication and active listening to maintain the mentor relationship

Identify empathy as an essential element for the mentoring relationship

Develop conversations focused on career and leadership experiences

Develop positive conferencing, questioning and observational skills

Identify strategies to engage and mentor students

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Email: areder@pastfoundation.org

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Current students often don't see the connection between STEM and occupations they may want to consider. For example, a student interested in being a chef may not think about the chemistry involved in creating food and tasty dishes. For this challenge, would you consider recording a short video or writing a blog about what you do on a daily basis and how STEM plays a GIANT, albeit unknown, part.

These blogs or videos will be a great way to enhance the After School Program and have the young adult students understand the connections to careers in STEM.

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Click here for information for the overall project

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Click here for information for the overall project

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This Master Padlet hosts information that is relevant to ALL Bath & Body Works Associates who are participating in the project.

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How to be a Great Mentor | Kenneth Ortiz | TEDxBethanyGlobalUniversity

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We understand the benefits of mentoring young people when we hear the powerful stories of teens whose lives have been changed by a single, caring adult. If you listen, those stories are everywhere. Like me, you likely have a story of a mentor from your own youth.

What we know about mentoring is that it matters to positive youth development. Now, one of the largest mentoring studies ever conducted continues to support this thinking and links mentoring to a reduction in bullying.

A five year study sponsored by Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada found that children with mentors were more confident and had fewer behavioral problems. Girls in the study were four times less likely to become bullies than those without a mentor and boys were two times less likely. In general, young people showed increased belief in their abilities to succeed in school and felt less anxiety related to peer pressure.

Mentoring relationships with youth are complex and there is more to be learned about what makes them succeed, particularly when mentors are matched through organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters and other kinds of nonprofits. In my own research with teens who became engaged citizens, all of the young people in the study had naturally developed mentee-mentor relationships with adults sometime during their middle and high school years. None were matched by organizations. Nonparent mentors - teachers, clergy, and civic leaders - were highly instrumental in how these teens learned to believe in themselves and tackle challenging goals - much like those in the Big Brothers Big Sisters study.

We know that mentoring is particularly beneficial to disadvantaged teens. A study conducted by North Carolina State University showed that youth from disadvantaged backgrounds are twice as likely to attend college when they have a mentor, particularly a teacher. It also showed that less than half of disadvantaged students have any adult mentor and that only seven percent named a teacher as a mentor.

A study of African American youth conducted by the University of Georgia showed how important mentors were to teens with hardships. For example, young people who had experienced discrimination, family stressors, and abuse were less likely to break the law or engage in substance abuse if they had a positive mentoring relationship. Again, their mentors provided the relational support to help them belief in their abilities and overcome difficult life challenges.

While many studies have focused on the effects of mentoring disadvantaged teens, we know that ALL teens reap big developmental dividends from nonparent mentoring relationships during their high school years. Regardless of income level, my study showed that teens grew intellectually, interpersonally, and emotionally from supportive mentors. For example, most reported they were better planners, organizers, and problem-solvers. And they grew in self-confidence and self-awareness.

Six Qualities that Make You a Good Mentor for Youth

Most studies have focused more on the effects of mentorship on youth and less on what adults actually do in their role as mentors. But in my interviews with more than 40 young people who were mentored by adults, some common and important themes emerged.

Young people agreed that you are more likely to influence their life path if you possess the following six qualities:

1. You are Supportive

By far, the most important role of a mentor is to support and encourage young people, particularly as they struggle to overcome obstacles and solve problems. When young people feel down, upset with their families, or unhappy in their life situations, mentors are beside them, letting them talk about anything and reminding them of their innate value.

2. You are an Active Listener

Mentors listen first and speak last. Many teens mentioned how little they feel listened to by most adults. Often, they feel inferior even when they have good ideas. But mentors are different. They always listen, even when they are not obligated to do so.

3. You Push -- Just Enough

As parents can attest, most teens don't respond well to being pushed out of their comfort zones, particularly within families. But teens really like to have high expectations set for them - both academically and personally. They appreciate when mentors push them beyond what they may have imagined they could accomplish. In fact, this is likely the reason why mentored youth from disadvantaged backgrounds are twice as likely to attend college.

4. You Have Authentic Interest in Youth as Individual

Teens can tell the difference between adults who are authentically interested in them as individuals and those who are just playing a role. Mentors engage youth to understand all aspects of their lives and interests. They value young people's ideas and honor their changing feelings and moods.

5. You Foster Self Decision-Making

Good mentors don't judge young people or impose their own beliefs on them. Instead they remind teens who they are and help them believe they have the insights to make good choices. Knowing they are not being judged helps young people think through decisions critically, sifting through the deeper values that will inform the adults they become.

6. You Lend Perspective

Adult mentors provide perspective to young people from their additional years of life experience. When obstacles seem overwhelming, mentors help put those challenges in perspective. They also help young people see both sides of a situation, helping model the skills of positive skepticism.

What other qualities make good mentors for young people? How can we provide mentoring relationships to all teens? Please share your insights and experiences.

Author
Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, Subscribe to receive email notifications of Marilyn's articles. is the author of Tomorrow's Change Makers: Reclaiming the Power of Citizenship for a New Generation. A developmental psychologist and researcher, she works at the intersection of positive youth development and education.
©2013 Marilyn Price-Mitchell. All rights reserved. Please see reprint guidelines for Marilyn's articles.

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What does it take to positively influence the life of one young person? Actually, no super human qualities are necessary -- just time, caring, and the right kind of support. Learn what teens say about their best mentors and why adults matter.

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READ: Can Mentorships Get More Girls Into STEM?

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READ: Can Mentorships Get More Girls Into STEM?

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As Saneeya Khan looks around at her workplace, she doesn't see many people who look like her. Khan works as a UX designer, and says her industry is male-dominated-a fact that hasn't changed much since she switched over from graphic design for the new challenges and opportunities that UX presented.

"I think the number one reason that women fall out of STEM is because they get in the workplace and find that it's a very masculine-dominated field, and that there's a lot of office politics to deal with," says Khan, who adds that despite the number of women working in technical careers, very few of them hold senior-level positions within their respective industries. "Most of the tech leads in my office are men, and we have one head female software developer. That's about it."

All that might change, if she has anything to say about it. As a teen, Khan taught herself Photoshop and is now focused on helping girls follow her lead and create successful STEM pathways for themselves as a mentor for ListoAmerica, part of the Clubhouse Network, which provides after school mentoring opportunities in underserved communities. She teaches digital design, shows students how to use different software programs and helps them conceptualize their ideas.

Right now, Khan is mentoring a high school senior who loves drawing comics, but who needs help translating her art-and the storylines and character development that go along with-into the digital space. "She does most of her stuff on paper, and I've been teaching her to use more digital tools like tablets," says Khan, who spends Wednesday evenings at ListoAmerica, working with her mentee. "She has a lot of ideas floating around in her head, and I'm helping her focus them."

Sharing Wisdom and Support

In the business world, mentors are trusted confidantes who share wisdom, support, and knowledge over an extended period. Working with a "mentee," they've likely already been through the ringer, so to speak, and can offer tips and advice that help their protégés avoid making the same mistakes they did.

The same concept applies in education, and especially in the STEM sector, where EdSurge found mentors working with girls of all ages. Whether they're helping mentees pick a career path, hone their design skills, or figure out how a rocket can safely land on Mars, these mentors bring their individual skill sets and experience to the table in the quest to get (and keep) more girls interested in technical fields.

Because girls "don't know what they don't know," so to speak, mentorships can open them up to new opportunities they may not have had access to. They can also help keep more of them interested in technical education and the related career opportunities. That's especially important in an era where Microsoft says just 60 percent of girls understand the relevancy of STEM subjects to their own personal and professional pursuits, with a lack of mentors and role models being one of the main culprits.

Flagship Clubhouse staff member and mentor Dominique Williams (left) helps a group of teen girls use a vinyl cutter. (Source: Clubhouse Network)

"Research shows that life experience and human relationships give us a sense of what's possible," says David Shapiro, the CEO of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, "and help us navigate to those possibilities."

By leading through example and sending early signals that success is possible. STEM mentors can help young girls understand that-even if they're not being encouraged by their parents, friends or teachers to explore engineering and science-someone who is like them is already out there doing it successfully.

"When you can give mentees a vision or example of what they want to be in engaging and captivating terms," Shapiro explains, "it creates a pretty powerful opportunity to get more girls interested in STEM."

Something She Wished She'd Had

According to the National Science Board, women make up half of the total U.S. college-educated workforce, but only 29 percent of the science and engineering workforce.

There's a chance that number could get even smaller over the next decade, according to Girls Who Code, which estimates that just 22 percent of computer scientists will be women in 2027, down from 37 percent in 1995.

When Chloé Greppi was transitioning from undergraduate student to research technician to graduate school, she wishes she'd been able to talk to and brainstorm with someone who had already "been there and done that" in the field of scientific research, she explains.

"I basically did what I felt like I needed to do, and without any advice or direction," says Greppi, who is in her fifth year of a Ph.D. program in biology. "It would have been valuable to have women currently working in STEM to talk to about how they got to where they are now, what factored into their decision-making, and what experiences to seek out or avoid."

Where a lack of mentors may have challenged this researcher, it wound up creating opportunities for other young girls who share a passion for science. "While working as a research technician, I had a random thought about doing some science outreach," Greppi recalls. In 2012, after hearing about Science Club for Girls, which runs programs for girls in both K-5 and middle school, she became a mentor for the group.

"We're a team of a few 'mentor scientists' who are mostly graduate or post-doctoral students," says Greppi, who adds that she was shocked at how much third-grade girls wanted to get their hands dirty. "They were curious, engaged, and excited to be there." They were also making connections between STEM and everyday life-a point that the Microsoft report highlighted as a major stumbling block for girls in STEM.

Twice a year, Greppi helps to develop a curriculum that "helps bring home all of the complicated topics and helps youngsters relate them to their everyday life." Recently, Greppi was working one-on-one with a fourth-grader, who may well become an aeronautical engineer one day, figure out the best way to create a soft landing for a rocket.

"She was struggling with the idea that there's no atmosphere, so you may need jets to propel the rocket in the air for a softer landing," says Greppi, whose mentee used an egg, cotton balls, straws, and toothpicks to develop a model. Then a lightbulb went on above the youngster's head. "All on her own," Greppi says, "she came up with her version of a soft landing enabled by a parachute. It was pretty ingenious."

A mentor from Northeastern university (left) helps a teen girl use a heat press to make a custom t-shirt. (Source: Clubhouse Network)

The Reluctant Mentor

When Susan Hunt retired from high school counseling three years ago, she was instantly courted by a parent to help mentor students interested in STEAM via the Gold Crown Foundation's enrichment programs. "I didn't miss my job, but I did miss working with kids," Hunt explains, "so I said yes."

As it happens, Hunt had no experience teaching STEAM, nor did she have much of an interest in it. "I'm not artistic, mathematical or engineering-oriented," she admits, "but I love kids and my passion is making sure they have the information they need to pursue opportunities after high school, be it college, internships, apprenticeships or something else."

That passion was enough to get Hunt started as a mentor for Gold Crown Foundation, which works with youngsters as young as 10 in an area that's underserved by other entities. She works with boys and girls who were selected to participate in the group's C2C Pathways program. A year-long program for approximately 20 teens, ages 16 to 21, the program includes workforce development training, job shadowing and a summer internship.

Right now, Hunt is working one-on-one with a C2C Pathways graduate who did very well in the program and the related internship, but whose academic progress hasn't been as positive. Interested in pursuing a STEAM education and career, she's working with Hunt on a plan of action that could find her attending a lesser-known college close to home and then transferring to a larger university once she gets her grades up.

"This is just where you start, and not where you will finish," Hunt assured the girl, knowing that her support could go a long way in helping her mentee successfully navigate the STEAM path. "I'm helping her understand that if she spends one year at a college near home, working on her academics, then the doors could open up for her down the road. Still, she's suffering some disappointment right now as the reality hits her."

Hunt says she's seen other girls managing similar disappointments, and says that many of them just don't get the support they need at home. That's where mentors can make a difference by bringing a fresh, adult perspective to the situation. "When you're focused on keeping a roof over your family's head and food on the table, it can be difficult to also serve as your child's academic and career advisor," says Hunt. "Mentoring helps to fill some of those gaps."

Khan, the UX designer, sees mentoring as a good way to get more girls involved with STEM at both the educational and career levels, and says it can be really beneficial for those mentees to see that "those who came before them" are thriving in their own careers.

At this point, however, she's not sure just how much impact she's having on the girls that she works with. "I can't say for sure if what I'm doing is making a difference because these girls are still so young," she says. "It would be interesting to follow up with them in 10 years to see how it worked out."

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Can Mentorships Get More Girls Into STEM Subjects? - EdSurge News

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As Saneeya Khan looks around at her workplace, she doesn't see many people who look like her. Khan works as a UX designer, and says her industry is male-dominated-a fact that hasn't changed much since she switched over from graphic design for the new challenges and opportunities that UX presented.

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For two years of my life, I had the best job in the world.

I was a trainer for young people; mostly within the ages of 18 - 24. But I also spent a bit of time with teenagers aged 15 - 17.

My job was to help develop them for the adult world; and if it came down to purely emotional fulfillment - I'd probably have done it forever. But in work and life, of course other factors come into play: like career growth, sustainability and impact.

So I eventually moved on. But not before learning all I could about young people. I share those learnings here.

How would you use this info? Maybe you have some sort of job that requires you to speak to uni students, and you don't want them to fall asleep. Maybe you're frustrated by why only old people buy your products. Or maybe you just wanna understand why your bitchy cousin is on her phone all the time.

Whatever it is, I hope you'll find this useful. Here's what I've learned about how to talk to young people.

1. Don't Be a Parent

Rule number #1: Don't be a parent. You can be a friend, counselor, teacher, guru, even big brother/sister. Whatever. But don't be a parent.

(Disclaimer: I'm not saying that parents aren't important. They are. I have absolute respect for what parents do. But this article isn't written from a parental perspective; it's for people outside of family.)

What's the fastest way to make young people not wanna do something? Right, get their parents to nag them to do it.

You'll see this weird dynamic play out in a variety of other ways too. Like the husband who won't ever eat vitamins, though his wife has been nagging him to do it forever. But then buys a jumbo pack of Activlife MutiVitamin 500 (With Spirulina Plus!) after talking to a random salesman for five minutes.

There's something about close "authority figures" that makes people - especially younger ones - wanna rebel.

And assuming that the young people you're trying to reach already have authority figures in their lives - you don't need to become another one.

So don't talk to them as if you're a know-it-all and they have to listen to you. No nagging or preaching. No "you musts" or "you should s." (Unless of course they're asking you for advice.)

If they feel like you're judging them, they won't open up to you.

2. Earn Their Respect

"Old people" often use things like job title and position to measure status. So say, if you're the boss of a small organization, you might be used to people listening to you and paying you respect.

Young people don't care about that shit.

Instead, they have their own measures of "success." Maybe Instagram followers is their way of measuring who's successful or not. How many did you gain yesterday?

My point is, just because you're older, wiser and richer - don't expect young people to automatically listen to you. You have to prove your credibility; and you often have to do it much faster than with adults. Because they grew up with mobile phones and the Internet - their brains probably work way faster than ours.

How do you earn their respect then? (Because you're probably never gonna have as many Social Media followers, and you don't wear NMDs.)

Show them how you managed to get the things they want. And then show them how to get it too.

This doesn't mean you teach them stupid pranks to gain Likes and Follows. But you can start by telling them, that just like them, you were once socially anxious and craved for affirmation too. That you used to write silly 600-word testimonials for your friends on a weird website called Friendster - so they would like you back.

Along the way you discovered that seeking for approval is an endless journey; that never really gets satisfied. And even though you only have 813 Facebook friends today, you're happy and confident - and you know that the people you love absolutely love you back.

Young people may look like they want stupid things. But look deeper - we're all human; we all share common desires.

3. Play With Them

To connect with young people, you've gotta be fun. I know this both from personal experience, and observing the best trainers I know:

The best cross-generation connectors are all playful people.

"But I'm not a fun person," you say. "And I'm not gonna act silly just to get some teenagers' attention!"

Glad you raised that up. Because neither am I. By default, I'm very much a quiet, introverted, read-books-alone kinda person. But if I can learn how to play with young people - then maybe you can too.

The key here isn't to be silly. You could act like a clown, but people would get bored after a while. (BTW this applies to dating too. 😉 ) Instead, the key is to have fun two-way interactions.

Most young people have enough deathly-boring people in their lives. Prime example: lecturers who don't care about whether their students enjoy learning or not. (This really bugs me BTW: Why TF don't academicians put more effort into making learning fun?)

Instead, be that breath of fresh air: the older person who still knows how to live young. You'll have to find a common area of fun - what both you and your audience enjoy. It might be difficult to find, but I guarantee you there will be things you'll love doing together.

Inside each one of us, there is a child who never got to play as much as he/she wanted. If you let your child out to meet theirs, maybe you'll have a good time together.

Maybe you'll have a connection.

4. Master Their Language

As anyone who's ever tried to dive into a foreign culture knows, speaking someone else's language is immensely powerful. (It's useful in bars too.)

And yes, I know you already speak the same language as your target audience. But drop you among a group of 20-year-olds, and you might not understand 50% of what they're saying. Why?

Because they have their own ways of saying and doing things. They have slang words and code words that outsiders don't understand. And they use communication channels (anyone here use Snapchat?) that might make no sense to older people.

But learning young people's language doesn't mean you stop at using Snapchat filters and throwing around slang words like "AF." It also means you empathize with them. Immerse yourself. Put yourself in their shoes, and try to feel what it means to be young in today's scary world.

What problems do they face today that didn't exist when you were adulting? What are their fears, and how can you help them?

"Seek first to understand, then to be understood."
- Dr. Stephen Covey -

That's what real communicators do.

5. Be Authentic

When you were a kid, you blurted out whatever was on the top of your mind, with #nofilter.

But somewhere along the way of growing up, we start getting used to filters and masks. We become politically correct. And hide behind social appearances we think will protect us from the world, and sometimes the world from us. (This isn't always a bad thing; social grace has probably stopped countless wars.)

But I also think most of us are tired of hiding.

You can see evidence of this everywhere. Like if you go to a university forum, there'll always be that one student who will make everyone laugh and clap by asking a daring question that no older person would.

You can also see how people love characters like Gary Vee and Mark Manson. They might be brutally honest and say f*ck all the time. But people see them as "telling it as it is," - saying things that everyone knows and feels, but don't have the guts to say.

And consider the case of Leonard Kim, who went from being suicidal, broke and homeless to being featured on Forbes magazine. His path to fame? Paved by his no-holds-barred failure stories on Quora.

When you're authentic, you open yourself to genuine connections. So don't put on appearances or try to "fake it." Don't think you need to be someone else. Young people have some of the best bullshit detectors in the world.

It's okay to show your weaknesses. It's okay to tell them that you're not an expert, but you can share personal experiences. And it's okay to say you don't know. It's only human.

Maybe they'll love you or they won't. But at least they won't ignore you cause you're fake.

- - -

I was 32 when I started my work with young people. I think I did okay, but hopefully they'll still listen to me when I'm 40.

Thankfully, I still know a few 40-year-olds who can command the attention of both adult audiences and 18-year-olds. I observe them and try to figure out what makes them so charismatic.

They're all practitioners of the five points above to some degree. But another common thing among them is they're all curious and open-minded people. They're always looking to learn new things.

Maybe that's the real difference between an old and a young person; the valley between the dying and the growing; and what makes people really come alive. It's the desire to learn and grow.

If you have that, you'll always be young.

- - -

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For two years of my life, I had the best job in the world. I was a trainer for young people; mostly within the ages of 18 - 24. But I also spent a bit of time with teenagers aged 15 - 17.

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READ: Why All Teenagers Need Non-Parent Mentors

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READ: Why All Teenagers Need Non-Parent Mentors

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Many adults look to their pasts and recall the profound influence a mentor had on their lives during adolescence. Whether it was a teacher, neighbor, clergy member, or sports coach, having the one-on-one support of a caring adult who is not a parent can yield positive, life-changing outcomes.

Why is it important to be mentored during the teen years? How do teenagers find the right mentors?

In a recent study involving more than 70 mentoring programs and more than 25,000 young people, researchers affirm what many other smaller studies have found-that mentoring has a significant effect on positive youth development (Raposa, et. al. 2019). This study, a meta-analysis, combined the results from many mentoring studies conducted between 1975 and 2017 to learn more about youth outcomes and the conditions under which mentoring is most effective.

Benefits of Mentoring During Adolescence

The following is a synopsis of what the Raposa study uncovered from the research on mentoring and how it supports the development of three interconnected processes during the teen years: 1) social-emotional learning, 2) cognitive learning, and 3) identity formation.

Research shows that adult mentoring:

Models positive social skills and facilitates interpersonal connections beyond family.

Helps young people interpret and manage life challenges, including relationships with peers and parents.

Facilitates meaningful conversations that boost cognitive skills and provides perspective.

Strengthens self-regulation, one's ability to manage emotions and impulses-to think before acting.

Promotes identity development, a key task of adolescence, through modeling core qualities that contribute to human thriving, like empathy, curiosity, resourcefulness, and resilience.

Opens doors to new ways of thinking, resources, and opportunities.

Fosters self-efficacy-a belief in oneself.

Many formal mentoring programs have focused their efforts on working with young people with risk factors, like poverty or neighborhood violence. The results of these programs have benefited youth in many ways, including those listed above. However, recent large-scale research shows that the same benefits exist from youth mentoring regardless of risk factors, income, or ethnicity.

In my book, Tomorrow's Change Makers: Reclaiming the Power of Citizenship for a New Generation, I explored the power of mentoring adolescents and its impact on thriving and civic engagement. My research study included youth who grew up in a wide range of circumstances, from poverty to affluence. Non-parent mentorship was a common thread in the stories of successful young people.

The teens in my study were fortunate to have found adult mentors informally-usually through their involvement in after-school activities and community service. The mentoring relationship occurred naturally because the adult supported and encouraged the teen in a variety of ways.

Young people agreed that mentoring relationships were most successful when mentors didn't see themselves merely as teachers, advisors, and role models, and instead considered themselves listeners, encouragers, supporters, and co-learners.

Being a mentor is different from being a role model, although good mentors are usually both. Role models serve as inspiration to children. They are not necessarily available to support them and often do not live close by. Learn about role models and the five qualities of role models that matter most to youth.

Mentors, on the other hand, usually know (or get to know) the young person well, sees them regularly and encourages them through a variety of life challenges. Learn how mentors influence the development of core abilities in youth that last a lifetime.

Formal mentoring programs exist only for subsets of teens. More informal mentoring relationships, like the ones developed in my study, do not occur for most teens. Yet, all teens benefit from non-parent mentors during adolescence. For this reason, teens should initiate their own mentoring relationships, like many young professionals have learned to do.

The next section speaks directly to teens, providing information from research that young people can use to foster a mentoring relationship.

For Teens: Five Steps to Finding a Mentor

Finding an adult to mentor you during middle or high school may sound difficult at first, but you have more power to make this happen than what you might imagine. Often that power is as simple as knowing who and how to ask.
1. Understand the Purpose of Youth Mentoring
A youth mentor is interested in your success, not just in school, but in life. They encourage you to find your own answers rather than telling you what to do. They listen intently. They are advocates for your well-being. They see, hear, and understand you in a way that others may not. In turn, this helps you learn about and believe in yourself!
2. Define Your Goals and Challenges
Consider your current goals related to school, friendships, interests, or career. What personal or learning challenges do you face? If you lack goals or feel lost, that's okay. Maybe your goal is to discover yourself and what's important to you. Mentoring can help.
3. Find a Mentor Who Knows You
Mentoring relationships most often evolve through your existing social networks. Make a list of adults who know and like you. Consider teachers, counselors, tutors, social service workers, program leaders, pastors, neighbors, or anyone who has shown kindness and respect toward you. Who do you most admire? Why? Who might best support your goals? Decide on your top choices.
4. Ask for What You Want
Most adults, when asked to mentor a young person, feel honored. Ask for 30 minutes of initial time with your top choice and show up ready to have a productive conversation. Explain why you believe a mentor would benefit you and why you are asking them to play that role. Talk about your current goals and challenges. Ask if they would be willing to meet every two weeks to discuss, encourage, and support your goals. If they don't have the time or don't feel they are the right person, don't be discouraged. Repeat the process with someone else.
5. Help Build a Positive Relationship
Youth mentoring is not one-sided. Your mentor will learn as much from you as you do from them. Be open, respectful, and honest. Ask questions. Learn how your mentor thinks and what he/she values. Exchange perspectives without judgment. Allow your relationship to evolve. If it doesn't work, say so and then redefine or end your formal mentoring relationship.

Infographic on Youth Mentoring

If you are a parent, teacher, or another caring adult in a young person's life, you can play a role in introducing teens to the importance of finding a mentor during these formative years. You can also make connections and introductions to adults that might play a mentoring role for a teen.

Please feel free to share this infographic and refer teens to the research on youth mentoring and the more detailed steps above on how to initiate a relationship with a supportive adult.

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Why All Teenagers Need Non-Parent Mentors

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Many adults look to their pasts and recall the profound influence a mentor had on their lives during adolescence. Whether it was a teacher, neighbor, clergy member, or sports coach, having the one-on-one support of a caring adult who is not a parent can yield positive, life-changing outcomes.

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BBWorks Inc. Participants Pre Survey 2023

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Have you participated in this program previously?

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Click the + button below to add your comment.  

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Watch and Read. Then,  place your name in the title and then write your comments below using the following questions as a guide:
- Why do you see business and industry partnering in education as important?

- How does design thinking influence your life both professionally and personally?
- What are the challenges you anticipate in mentoring young adults versus children?
-What influence do you think you can have on a young adult?

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- Why do you see business and industry partnering in education as important?

One of the roles of education is to prepare the younger generation for their roles in industry. Business and industry partnering in education can help bridge the gaps that academics may sometimes oversee.

- How does design thinking influence your life both professionally and personally?

Design thinking influences how I approach solving challenges. Seeing challenges as tasks approach solving with creativity, rather than just obstacles, makes solving challenges all the more enjoyable.

- What are the challenges you anticipate in mentoring young adults versus children?

Young adults may be more rebellious and more skeptical of mentors relative to young children.

-What influence do you think you can have on a young adult?

I think that I can help young adults explore developing interests and build confidence.

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- Why do you see business and industry partnering in education as important?
Business and industry partnering together in education is important because it gives kids exposure to more opportunities in their career path and can help motivate them to work towards a goal in life.

- How does design thinking influence your life both professionally and personally?
Design thinking allows me to look at problems in different ways and to have an open mind. I am able to approach any unique situation and work through it by breaking it down into steps rather than trying to make it one big problem.
- What are the challenges you anticipate in mentoring young adults versus children?
The challenge I anticipate is having young adults who are not motivated and willing to be open to new opportunities.
-What influence do you think you can have on a young adult?
I hope to help them open up and discover that there are many career opportunities out there. As well as it is okay to not have everything in life figured out and to just take it one step at a time.

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- Why do you see business and industry partnering in education as important?
I believe business and industry partnering in education is important to allow for the younger generation to listen to first hand experiences, find out what opportunities exist and help to potentially provide guidance in what their future paths could hold.

- How does design thinking influence your life both professionally and personally?
Design influence helps in problem solving and thinking of different options for determining the best resolution to an issue or challenge.
- What are the challenges you anticipate in mentoring young adults versus children?
Young adults may be more opinionated and not as open to advice or feedback as younger kids.
-What influence do you think you can have on a young adult?
I hope to bring motivation and confidence in their success in the future for these young adults.

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- Why do you see business and industry partnering in education as important?
It can give real world examples for why what students are learning in the classroom is important. These tangible examples can help motivate students to continue their STEM education. For the business professionals, it can be helpful to see a youthful perspective on the work they are conducting.

- How does design thinking influence your life both professionally and personally?
In my job, I have to frequently complete all of the steps in the Design Cycle. When new products or new vendors are introduced to our supply chain, we have to identify whether the componentry or formula will pose a challenge to creating the finished good. We then brainstorm solutions to alleviate these risks, research other options used in the industry, create the solution, evaluate the solution's effectiveness at our suppliers, then modify and share as necessary. In my personal life, I go through this same cycle when I run into challenges with my apt, my car, etc.
- What are the challenges you anticipate in mentoring young adults versus children?
Young adults tend to have more opinions and are slightly less pliable than children. It may take a bit more work to get them excited about the daily task at hand. They may also have more going on in their personal life that they bring into the after school event.
-What influence do you think you can have on a young adult?
I think I can be a support to individuals, talking about my experiences both growing up going through school but also my career path and journey in STEM, especially being a woman in STEM. I think I can help them be creative in their thought process and be open to lots of different ideas. I think I can also help the young adults gain confidence in themselves.

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- Why do you see business and industry partnering in education as important?

I see this partnership as important because it can educate students the opportunities that they can work towards as well as instill a sense of confidence and familiarity with the industry of science.

- How does design thinking influence your life both professionally and personally?

Design thinking influences my life in the way that I can use critical thinking and an open mind to solve issues. Design thinking for me also incorporates the scientific method, which involves some trial and error. It necessitates multiple perspectives and ideas to solve a problem, not a singular was of thinking.

- What are the challenges you anticipate in mentoring young adults versus children?

I anticipate that the young adults may feel disenchanted or frustrated after a day of school, and situations at home, which can be academically, socially, and emotionally taxing. I hope that we can help energize their social battery but can definitely empathize/sympathize with what they might be going though.

-What influence do you think you can have on a young adult?

I think that I can show them new opportunities that they may have not heard of, but also want to spark an interest in a different side of STEM education. I want to lead with empathy and understanding to show them that the field is not just numbers and data.

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1. Why do you see business and industry partnering in education as important?
- Seeing business and industry partnering in education is important because it creates an opportunity for every child to be exposed to many different career fields.

2. How does design thinking influence your life both professionally and personally?
- Design thinking influences my life both professionally and personally because it creates room for growth. It allows me to accept the mistakes that I make in life because I know in the end that I was working towards truly solving the problem.
3. What are the challenges you anticipate in mentoring young adults versus children?
- A challenge that I anticipate will mentoring young adults is allowing them to experience a health struggle with the concept before jumping in to help.
4. What influence do you think you can have on a young adult?
- I hope that I can help each student to become more confident in sharing their ideas.