Five Questions to Strengthen a Youth Mentoring Program
Five Questions to Strengthen a Youth Mentoring Program
Strong mentoring programs do more than recruit caring adults and match them with young people. They create the structure, preparation, and ongoing support that help relationships develop safely and consistently.
Programs can begin a quality review with five questions.
1 What change is the program designed to support
A clear purpose guides recruitment, training, activities, and evaluation. Define what the program hopes young people will experience or gain, then examine whether the program model reasonably supports that goal.
2 How are mentors screened and prepared
Screening should reflect the program setting and responsibilities. Training should address boundaries, communication, youth development, mandated reporting, program rules, and how to seek help when concerns arise. Mentors also need realistic information about the time and consistency expected.
3 How are matches made
A match should consider the young person's interests, preferences, goals, and comfort. Programs should avoid making assumptions based only on convenience or limited demographic information. Young people need a meaningful voice in whether a proposed match feels appropriate.
4 What support continues after the match
Mentors and young people need regular contact from program staff. Check-ins can identify misunderstandings, boundary concerns, inconsistent contact, or changing needs before they threaten the relationship. Families or caregivers may also need clear communication about program expectations.
5 How does the program handle endings
Mentoring relationships may end because goals are met, circumstances change, or expectations are not fulfilled. Programs should prepare participants for closure and avoid abrupt endings whenever possible. A thoughtful process helps protect the young person from feeling blamed or abandoned.
Use established standards
MENTOR's Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring offers research-informed standards and tools covering program design, recruitment, screening, training, matching, monitoring, support, and closure. The National Mentoring Resource Center also provides resources, research reviews, training, and technical assistance.
Quality mentoring depends on the systems surrounding the relationship. Reviewing those systems helps programs protect young people, support mentors, and build relationships that can grow over time.
