Volunteer Mentors Research Articles

Effectiveness of Peer Mentoring for the Prevention of Dependency: A Pilot Study in a Rural Setting.

To analyse the effectiveness of an active ageing intervention modality through peer mentoring. A quasi-experimental research study is carried out through three groups, one control (educational workshops on active ageing given by professionals) and two experimental (workshops given by peers with digital or face-to-face exposure). All groups share duration (7 weeks) and content, modifying the route of exposure. The effectiveness of the model is measured through the variables of physical health, mental health and social support. Loneliness and the need for care are also controlled for. The total sample consists of n = 209 people aged over 60 living in a rural context, of which n = 12 form the volunteer/mentor group. Active ageing interventions show an improvement in the perception of physical and mental health among people in need of some form of care, with all three modalities being equally effective. The impact on social support is analysed by controlling for the loneliness and social participation variable; in these cases, the face-to-face experimental group of peers is more effective than the others. The peer-to-peer methodology is as effective as the traditional methodology with a practitioner in maintaining and improving health perception, and the face-to-face methodology with peers is more useful in fostering social support among people experiencing loneliness. Peer mentoring is presented as a good strategy to improve social support for older people and to combat loneliness. To address the prevention of dependency through the promotion of active ageing. Peer mentoring is confirmed to have a significant impact on social support and could be a socio-educational tool applicable to older people experiencing loneliness. This study has adhered to JBI guidelines. JBI critical appraisal checklist for quasi-experimental studies has been used. Volunteer mentors contributed to the design and delivery of the workshops.

INNOVATIVE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT FAMILY CAREGIVERS AND PERSONS LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

Abstract There is a continued need for accessible and cost-effective community-based services and supports for family caregivers and persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD). Utilizing trained volunteers may offer a scalable approach to filling gaps in ADRD care and support. This symposium will provide evidence for utilizing trained volunteers in innovative interventions designed for family caregivers and persons living with dementia. The first paper presents findings from the Senior Companion Program Plus, an intervention using lay providers to deliver a culturally informed psychoeducational intervention with African American ADRD family caregivers. The second paper highlights the Faith Care Family Project which utilizes trained church volunteers from predominantly African American churches to reach African American ADRD family caregivers. The third paper explores the PorchLight Project, a dementia-capable training and respite delivered by volunteers for older people living in the community throughout Minnesota and in select regions of North Dakota. The fourth paper presents findings from an intervention using trained, experienced Chinese dementia caregivers to be volunteer mentors to newer dementia caregivers in the same ethnic community. The final paper presents findings from a telephone-based, intergenerational reminiscence intervention with college student volunteers and persons living with cognitive impairment that incorporates digital storytelling. The symposium will conclude with a critical reflection on the empirical contributions needed to advance scholarship on leveraging volunteers to meet the needs of family caregivers and persons living with ADRD.

Forming an alliance: mentor’s perspectives on the role of family and social networks in cross-racial mentoring relationships with black youth

ABSTRACT Little is known about how mentors’ interactions with youths’ families and broader social networks influences the mentoring relationship while considering differences in race and socioeconomic status between the mentor and the youth. This study utilized a constructivist grounded theory to examine how non-Black volunteer mentors perceived their interactions with the youth’s family impacted the youth mentoring relationship. The findings highlight the many benefits of mentors establishing a genuine connection with youths’ families and social networks and underline some of the difficulties associated with racial and class differences between the mentor and the youths’ family and social network.

Identifying predictors of psychological well-being among volunteer mentors in Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) facilitates mentoring relationships between youth and volunteer mentors. Although research has examined outcomes for youth in BBBS, relatively less investigation has been undertaken for volunteer outcomes. This study explored factors associated with changes in psychological well-being among BBBS volunteer mentors. Participants included 593 mentors (Mage = 31) surveyed at study baseline and 15-month follow-up. A classification and regression decision tree approach was used to predict residualized change in psychological well-being from study baseline with match length included as the first split variable, and demographic, individual, and relationship variables included as candidate predictors. Analyses indicated that mentors with longer relationships (>4.5 months) reported more positive change in psychological well-being compared with mentors with shorter relationships. Perceived quality of program supervision was a further predictor within both groups of volunteers. Findings suggest that longer relationships and greater program support may contribute to mentor well-being.

Putting school-based mentors' experience into context: a mixed-methods cross-country comparison

PurposeCross-national research on cultural differences can help understand what drives, in differing contexts, mentors' commitment to school-based mentoring programs. This comparative study aims to explore whether adult volunteers, from Scotland and Italy, experience being mentors of vulnerable youth differently.Design/methodology/approachData from interviews (n = 20) and questionnaires (n = 114) were used to test hypotheses concerning volunteer mentors' perceptions of their role and abilities, as well as motives for participation. According to cross-cultural theories, Scottish mentors should be more likely to identify mentoring with establishing friendly relationships with mentees and promoting youth self-empowerment. They should also be more self-confident and value-driven as volunteers.FindingsDespite the mixed support for the assumptions concerning how the mentor role is conceived, Scottish mentors were less likely than Italians to doubt their abilities and more driven by other-focused and generative concerns.Originality/valueThe study reveals significant variations in how volunteers from countries featuring different welfare regimes and cultural orientations experience mentoring. The research advances the understanding of how culturally sensitive approaches can foster mentors' engagement.

All Things Considered: Examining Mentoring Relationships Between White Mentors and Black Youth in Community-Based Youth Mentoring Programs.

Community-based youth mentoring programs are popular interventions that serve a large number of Black youths throughout the country. Interestingly, the majority of mentors who volunteer their time for mentoring organizations identify as non-Hispanic White. This study examines how White mentors address topics acknowledging ethnic/racial identity and issues centered around social justice and recognize their own privileges when mentoring Black youth in community-based youth mentoring programs. The aims of the current study were to examine: (a) whether and how White volunteer mentors address ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship and (b) how White mentors' awareness of their own positionality and privilege impacted how they addressed ethnic/racial identity, racial socialization, and oppression in the mentoring relationship with Black youth. Utilizing a constructivist grounded theory approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 current and former mentors from six different Big Brothers Big Sisters community-based mentoring programs across the United States. Findings reveal that some mentors felt uncomfortable discussing issues centered around race and others do not think it is relevant at all. Further, findings demonstrated that mentoring Black youth significantly impacts mentors' perceived awareness of social issues and acknowledgment of privileges they hold. Current findings highlight the need for youth mentoring programs to provide training and resources to help White mentors discuss implications of race and broader social justice issues with the Black youth they mentor.

Cultural Humility Training for Mentors: Lessons Learned and Implications for Youth Programs

The current paper presents lessons learned from a research-to-practice partnership between mentoring program practitioners and researchers that focused on the development and implementation of a cultural humility training for volunteer mentors. Using multiple data sources (e.g., training materials, field notes, mentor surveys), we present a description of the research-to-practice partnership and the Culturally Smart Relationships pilot training content. We generate practice-oriented lessons to inform future cultural humility training work with staff and volunteers in youth programs. Our lessons reflect recommendations that emerged from five project phases: (a) organizational commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion; (b) training curriculum and logistical planning; (c) “To Zoom, or not to Zoom''; (d) facilitation of the training; and (e) post-training and ongoing support. The pilot training content and lessons learned have implications for youth programs by elucidating training as one component of a broader approach for equity in youth developmental program practice.

Emergency Nursing: A Staff-Led Mentorship Program in a Tertiary Adult and Pediatric Emergency Department

Background: Emergency Department (ED) nurses are familiar with high levels of turnover and staff burnout. All EDs have faced unprecedented stressors related to the global COVID-19 pandemic including higher patient acuity, senior staff attrition, and increased numbers of less-experienced new hires. In one combined pediatric and adult tertiary ED, senior nursing staff identified a need for integrating formalized mentorship for new staff in the current nursing orientation. Three senior, experienced, Registered Nurses (Mentor Leads) developed and implemented a volunteer-based, staff-led mentorship initiative piloted throughout 2021.
 Implementation: Mentor Leads conducted stakeholder consultation with recent new hires and senior staff prior to proposing the mentorship program model to management and the education team in November 2020. Support obtained allocated Mentor Leads two hours of classroom department orientation to conduct virtual presentations with new hires (Mentees). The presentation was structured as a nursing assignment simulation with opportunities for open discussion; it reviewed emergency case scenarios, prioritization/time management, department flow, multidisciplinary communication, and staff roles and resources. Then groups of two to four nursing Mentors, with at least one year of experience in the department, provided sequential in-person and email check-ins throughout the first six-months of the Mentees’ employment. Electronic materials, including mentorship expectations and resources, were disseminated to the Mentors to support them during their mentorship term.
 Evaluation Methods: Qualitative feedback was sought from Mentors and Mentees at the end of their mentorship term. Both were asked to describe any personal benefit gained from participation in the program, any challenges they recognized, and if/how the program impacted their future employment in the department. In addition, Mentees were asked to provide survey feedback following the orientation presentation.
 Results: The mentorship program was applied to all nine orientation groups hired in 2021. A total of 70 new hires participated as Mentees. Twenty-one volunteer Mentors were utilized to lead the orientation groups. Initial qualitative feedback for the orientation presentation and the six-month follow-up was universally positive. Qualitative themes included enhanced preparedness concerning department realities, feeling welcomed by staff, and improved understanding of department flow and avenues of assistance. One Mentee shared that, without the program they would have considered seeking new opportunities outside of the emergency department setting shortly after orientation.
 Mentors expressed a crucial need for the program and shared that their responsibilities and expectations were manageable. Mentors felt the email communication structure was less effective than the in-person check-ins. An incidental benefit of the program’s implementation was its positive effect on staff participating as Mentors. They reported that their experience with the program provided them with purpose, decreased levels of burnout, and strengthened their teaching and leadership skills. Qualitative feedback from Mentor Leads and experienced staff report that department mentorship culture as a whole has been enhanced by the program.
 Advice and Lessons Learned: 
 
 Strong partnership with key stakeholders, including management and the nursing education team, was vital to implementing a successful mentorship program in the department. Concerns voiced by Mentors regarding Mentee overall performance and potential practice challenges were escalated to department Clinical Nurse Educators in order to provide targeted educational support for the success of staff.
 The role of strong and determined Mentor Leads were key to conduct the necessary building, implementation, and preservation of the program. A significant amount of invested time was required to ensure program success. Consideration should be given to fiscal resources to incentivize staff-led grassroots mentorship programs.
 Future program evaluation hopes to include detailed evaluation of objective data comparing levels of nurse turnover and vacancy rates pre- and post-implementation of the program, and an economic evaluation.
 Future opportunities for this program are to expand mentorship to staff new to resuscitation, triage, and charge nurse roles within the department, as well as replicate the work to other local and provincial EDs.

Retention Outcomes When a Structured Mentoring Program Is Provided as Part of New Graduate Orientation.

In an effort to reduce attrition among new graduate nurses, mentorship relationship opportunities were infused into the nurse residency orientation program. Specifically trained volunteer mentors were paired with new graduate nurses upon successful completion of their orientation. Activities were focused on transitioning to a professional nurse rather than the clinical skills needed to provide care. This program enhanced retention among new graduate nurses and increased professional activities among mentees.

The Importance of Positive Social Support During Reentry From Prison: Examining the Role of Volunteer Mentoring.

Social support appears to be important in improving outcomes for incarcerated individuals during the reentry process not only in terms of general wellbeing but also in gaining employment and avoiding recidivism. Mentoring programs have become increasingly popular interventions that are intended to provide such support during reentry. However, research on mentoring programs is limited and tends to focus solely on the programs' impact on recidivism, a distal outcome. Through the use of semi-structured, in-depth interviews, this qualitative study focuses on more proximal outcomes, exploring how reentering individuals who are receiving volunteer mentoring through a transitional housing program define successful reentry and perceive the value of different types of support they received from their mentors. Participants identified several indicators of successful reentry and discussed the types of support that were helpful, harmful, or absent. Implications for practice and areas for future research are discussed.

What makes volunteer mentors tick? A case study in a preparatory online training course

PurposeThis paper aims to understand what drives people – their motivations, autonomous learning attitudes and learning interests – to volunteer as mentors for a program that helps families to ideate technological solutions to community problems.Design/methodology/approachA three-phase method was used to build volunteer mentor profiles; elicit topics of interest and establish relationships between those. The mentor profiles were based on self-assessments of motivation, attitude toward lifelong learning and self-regulated learning strategies. The topics of interest were elicited through content analysis of answers to reflection questions. Statistical methods were applied to analyze the relationship between the interests and the mentor profiles.FindingsBottom-up clustering led to the identification of three mentor groups (G1 “low”; G2 “high” and G3 “medium”) based on pre-survey data. While content analysis led to identifying topics of interest: communication skills; learning AI; mentoring; prototype development; problem-solving skills; working with families. Analyzing relationships between mentor profile and the topics of interest, the group G3 “medium,” with strong intrinsic motivation, showed significantly more interest in working with families. The group with the overall highest scores (G2 “high”) evidenced also substantial interest in learning about AI, but with high variability between members of the group.Originality/valueThe study established different types of learning interests of volunteer mentors and related them to the mentor profiles based on motivation, self-regulated learning strategies and attitudes toward lifelong learning. Such knowledge can help organizations shape the volunteering experience to provide more value to volunteers. Furthermore, the reflection questions can be used by volunteers as an instrument for reflection and by organizations to elicit the learning interests of volunteers.

A Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effects of a 6-Month Home-Based Physical Activity Program with Individual Goal-Setting and Volunteer Mentors on Physical Activity, Adherence, and Physical Fitness in Inactive Older Adults at Risk of Cognitive Decline: The INDIGO Study

Background: Increasing physical activity (PA) in those who have memory concerns requires innovative approaches. Objective: To compare in this randomized controlled trial (RCT) the effects on PA, adherence, and fitness of two approaches to deliver a 6-month home-based PA program in older, inactive individuals at risk of cognitive decline. Methods: Individuals (n = 52) aged 60–85 years, inactive with mild cognitive impairment or subjective cognitive decline were recruited from the community and memory clinics. Randomization was to 6 months of 150 min/week moderate intensity PA with either: goal-setting with mentor support; or education and peer contact. A subset of participants (n = 36) continued for a further 6 months. PA, moderate and vigorous PA, and secondary outcomes, fitness, goal performance/satisfaction and self-efficacy were assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Modelling of primary and secondary outcomes was conducted with linear mixed models. Results: Participants were mean age (±sd) 70.1 (6.4) years. Six-month retention was 88.5%(n = 46). No significant between-group differences were observed for PA or fitness. Post-hoc combined group data showed a significant, moderate-large effect size increase in PA with time. PA increased by a mean 1,662 (943, 2383) steps/day (95%CI) and 1,320 (603, 2037) steps/day at 6 and 12 months (p < 0.001). Median (quartiles Q1-Q3) 6 and 6–12 month combined group adherence was 88.9 (74.4–95.7)%and 84.6 (73.9–95.4)%respectively. Conclusion: In this target group, no differences were detected between groups both intervention strategies were highly effective in increasing PA and fitness.

Help your communities grow!

We all have been newcomers one day, and gradually we managed to find our way to become experienced users. But how many promising newcomers have abandoned this same journey because they didn't understand our tools or our policies, or lacked human-to-human support?
 The Wikimedia Foundation Growth team is working on a set of tools that help communities to welcome newcomers and grow wikis in size and quality. These features have been shown to increase the activation, retention, and edit volume of newcomers.
 
 Newcomer homepage: a special page that hosts the "Newcomer tasks" and is a good place for a newcomer to get started. The homepage gives access to many resources, including a link to a volunteer mentor who would reply to their questions.
 Newcomer tasks: a feed of suggested edits that help newcomers learn how to make simple edits on their preferred subjects. Newcomers have been making productive edits through this feed! The feed is located on the homepage, as the starring feature.
 Help panel: a platform to provide resources to newcomers while they are editing. When newcomers work on "Newcomer tasks", the help panel guides them on what to do.
 
 All of these features are available right now, on both desktop and mobile: communities can request their deployment if they want to try them.
 This presentation will be about discovering the Growth tools, know their benefits, and see how to implement them in order to increase chances to grow your community in a qualitative way. We will also show the future of these features.

National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP): Outreach Strategies That Facilitate Inclusion

To ensure that the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) workforce of the future is inclusive of diverse peoples and ideas, there is a need to ensure that STEM outreach activities that encourage students into STEM education and careers are inclusive of and provide equity for people from diverse racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and academic backgrounds. Since 2004, the National Indigenous Science Education Program (NISEP), based at Macquarie University, Sydney, has been using best ethical and inclusion strategies to engage with Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander school students and their communities. This publication discusses the inclusion and equity strategies utilized by NISEP, including community consultation, student leadership and autonomy, volunteer mentors, and the respectful and best practice use of Indigenous knowledge. These factors have all contributed to NISEP's success in increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' aspiration toward and engagement with secondary and tertiary education.

A Pilot Evaluation of a Social Justice and Race Equity Training for Volunteer Mentors.

Mentor training on cultural humility is an area of needed support in formal youth mentoring relationships. This pilot study used an experimental design to examine the role of a social justice and race equity training on volunteer mentors' cognitive and affective outcomes related to cultural humility in mentoring. The sample included 99 volunteer mentors paired with adolescent mentees in an established formal mentoring program. Mentors predominantly identified as White (89%), and the majority (72%) were paired with youth of color. Participants were randomly assigned to either the training or control condition. Findings from intention-to-treat analyses indicated that training group participants (n=49) exhibited greater increases in self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic support over time than participants in the control group (n=50). As-treated analyses indicated that training attendees (n=23) exhibited greater increases in self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic support over time than participants who did not attend the training (n=76). Results indicated no significant changes over time in participants' training content knowledge, awareness of racial privilege, ethnocultural empathy, or social justice interest and behavioral intentions. Analyses also indicated an attendance bias within the training condition, such that mentors who attended the training reported significantly more awareness of racial privilege, social justice interest, and social justice behavioral intentions compared to training condition mentors who were invited but did not attend the training. Implications for training volunteer mentors within formal mentoring programs are discussed.

Enhancing supports to children of incarcerated parents: Introducing trauma informed training to church mentors

A child who has a parent incarcerated is likely to experience a number of life challenges including school failure, poverty, substance abuse, and justice system involvement. The negative outcomes associated with having a parent incarcerated disproportionately expose children to adverse childhood events (ACE’s) which have been associated with higher morbidity and mortality. However, engagement with caring adults who can provide both practical and spiritual mentorship can increase a child’s resilience and buffer the impact of these negative outcomes. Church-based mentors have the capacity to provide support to this population when adequately trained in trauma-informed responses. This study describes Camp Agape California (CAC), a church-based mentoring program for children with an incarcerated parent. Specifically, this study describes the development and implementation of a trauma focused mentorship training purposed to equip church members to better meet the needs of this vulnerable population. Seventy-six volunteer mentors from various churches participated in the training and completed the post-training survey. Results suggest that the trauma informed training was effective at increasing knowledge and self-efficacy and was identified as being relevant to the mentor role. Implications for the utility of church-based mentorship for vulnerable populations are explored.

Volunteer Mentor Experiences of Mentoring Forced Migrants in the United Kingdom

Research demonstrates the complex nature of supporting forced migrant populations; however, there is almost no research on volunteer experience of supporting forced migrants. This study explored the experiences of volunteer mentors in the United Kingdom. Eight participants were recruited from a single charitable organization. Data were collected using in-depth, semi-structured interviews, and verbatim transcripts were analyzed using Interpretative phenomenological analysis. Four superordinate themes emerged: “paralyzed by responsibility and powerlessness”; “weighty emotional fallout”; “navigating murky boundaries”; and “enriched with hope, joy, and inspiration.” Participants experienced a range of emotions as a result of their mentoring: from distress to inspiration. Findings suggest that focusing on achievable changes helps mentors. The mentoring relationship is hugely important to mentors but also requires careful navigation. The findings suggest that, whilst it is a fulfilling experience, support is required for volunteers mentoring forced migrants. The relative strengths and limitations of the study are considered. Theoretical implications and suggestions for organizations, clinical applications, and future research are provided.

Development of a Structured Peer Mentoring Program for Support of Parents and Caregivers of Children with Cancer

BackgroundParents of children newly diagnosed with cancer have increased anxiety, depression, and numerous questions. Many of these concerns can only be answered by parents who have undergone a similar experience. Local problemOur institution lacked a formal parent-to-parent mentoring program for parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer. MethodsThe Parent Family Advisory Council (PFAC) recommended implementation of a formalized program that would promote a structured approach to mentoring, with a formal referral process and designated parent mentors who had been vetted, trained, and supported by the institution. InterventionIn 2010, a pilot parent-to-parent mentoring program was initiated. ResultsSince the programs initiation, 4062 encounters have been documented. This represents an annual average of 72 mentees paired with 20 mentors, averaging 677 annual encounters. Parents view the mentoring relationship as positive and report that they feel understood, less anxious, and less isolated. ConclusionWe show that a parent-to-parent mentoring program is feasible and sustainable over time. Our model is now transitioning from a staff referral to self-referral, as well as incorporating real-time mentoring into the new commons area for patients and their families. A formal volunteer mentoring program can assist parents in navigating the trajectory of childhood cancer, decreasing isolation.

Can Institutional Support Improve Volunteer Quality? An Analysis of Online Volunteer Mentors

Can Institutional Support Improve Volunteer Quality? An Analysis of Online Volunteer Mentors

The effect of volunteer management mentoring program on mentors’ entrepreneurship tendency and leadership self-efficacy

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of participating in the Volunteer Management Mentoring Program on entrepreneurship tendency and leadership self-efficacy. The Volunteer Management Mentoring Program was created by UNICEF and conducted within the scope of the Social Sensitivity course taught at Kilis 7 Aralik University, Turkey. This research was designed as a semi-experimental study with pretest-posttest experiment and control groups. Entrepreneurship Scale and Leadership Self-Efficacy Scale were applied to the students in the experimental and control groups as pretest and posttest. While the students in the experimental group participated in the Volunteer Management Mentoring Program in the process; the students in the control group did not participate in any program. The study group was determined using the criterion sampling method and consisted of 26 university students studying at Kilis 7 Aralik University in the 2019-2020 academic year. 13 students were in the experimental group and 13 in the control group. Personal Information Form, Entrepreneurship Scale for University Students, and Leadership Self-Efficacy Scale were used as data collection tools. The data were analyzed using SPSS package program. Two-factor repeated-measures ANOVA technique was used in the analysis. The findings showed that mentor university students who participated in the Volunteer Management Mentoring Program increased their scores for the entrepreneurship scale after the program was completed. According to another finding, participation in the Volunteer Mentoring Management Program had no significant effect on the leadership self-efficacy scores of mentor students.