Mentoring

Why mentoring?
Research confirms what previously we had known only anecdotally or intuitively. That is, that mentoring works. A Research Brief published by Child Trends, Mentoring: A Promising Strategy for Youth DevelopmentPDF: , found that youth who participate in mentoring relationships experience a number of positive benefits.

In terms of educational achievement, mentored youth have better attendance; a better chance of going on to higher education; and better attitudes towards school. In terms of health and safety, mentoring appears to help prevent substance abuse and reduce some negative youth behaviors. On the social and emotional development front, taking part in mentoring promotes positive social attitudes and relationships.

Mentored youth tend to trust their parents more and communicate better with them. They also feel they get more emotional support from their friends than do youth who are not mentored.

Who Needs Mentors?
There are 35.2 million young people ages 10-18 in United States today.

1 out of 4 lives with only one parent
1 out of 10 was born to teen parents
1 out of 5 lives in poverty
1 out of 10 will not finish high school

-- An excerpt from MENTOR FAQ at www.mentor.com

Mentoring in Kern County

The following information on mentoring in Kern County is presented in partnership with the Women’s & Girls’ Fund of the Kern Community Foundation.

The Women’s & Girls’ Fund was launched in May 2005 to promote the highest quality of life for Kern women and girls. The first grants from this permanent endowment will be extended in May 2008 to nonprofits in Kern County whose programs benefit women and girls. The Women’s & Girls’ Fund seeks to work with other nonprofits and agencies to share research, leverage grant-making, fund cooperatively, and maximize positive impact for women and girls.

The Women’s & Girls’ Fund has a keen interest in mentoring. For that reason, Fund volunteers convened Mentoring Roundtables in August 2006 and February 2007. Future Roundtables will be scheduled if productive results follow from the participants. The Women’s & Girls’ Fund believes that collaboration is crucial if mentoring is to have a wide and long-lasting impact in our community.

The Kern Community Foundation, in its role as a community catalyst, leader and manager of community philanthropy, is committed to increasingly convening participatory issues events such as these Mentoring Roundtables. For more information please visit the Kern Community Foundation and the Women’s & Girls’ Fund at www.kernfoundation.org.

Compilation of Kern County Mentoring Programs:
Mentoring Programs

Meeting Notes from Roundtable Gatherings:
Mentoring Roundtables

Recent research on mentoring:
Mentoring Research

Media coverage on mentoring:
Mentoring in the Media

Available Mentoring Grants:
Mentoring Grants


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