Forgotten Youth: The Need for Youth Mentoring in Rural Populations.

Abstract

The term “mentoring” refers to a relationship process in which professional, emotional, or academic support is provided by a “senior” person to a more “junior” person. It can be a positive experience for people at every level of the enterprise. At its best, well-designed mentoring can lead to new relationships and help develop creativity and confidence. Youth mentoring services have demonstrated effectiveness at providing much-needed support to at-risk youth with overwhelmingly positive outcomes. Yet, despite the growing number of youth mentoring programs in the United States, there is a marked lack in rural areas. This lack of services is particularly evident in the context of the global COVD-19 pandemic (Tolan et al., 2008). Youth mentoring programs as an intervention to thwart juvenile delinquency reform began appearing in the United States more than a century ago (DuBois & Karcher, 2013). Since that time, and especially within the...