Best Practices in School-Based Mentoring Programs for Adolescents

Abstract

Mentoring is a promising approach to promote healthy development and prevent poor youth outcomes; however, bad mentoring experiences have yielded negative results. Thus, it is critical that youth service providers take heed of the current research and resources for establishing an effective youth mentoring program. Given the increased interest in school-based mentoring programs, presented herein are best practices in developing, implementing, and evaluating a school-based mentoring program for adolescents. Program development strategies are provided around laying the groundwork, establishing partnerships, and coordinating the program. The elements of effective practice for mentoring (MENTOR, 2009) are summarized and additional implementation considerations are presented. Lastly, the realities of program evaluation are discussed in juxtaposition to program evaluation standards.