Why Mentor?

In North Carolina, parents are the central source of emotional, financial, and social support for their children. Many youth are also fortunate to be part of larger networks including grandparents, other relatives, neighbors, and community and religious organizations. Adults in these networks can offer youth extra attention, affection, guidance, and a sense of direction–all of which are increasingly important given the wide array of outside influences, not all of them positive, that face our youth today.

However, family, community, and civic life in our communities are changing. Fewer people know their neighbors. More households are headed by a single parent. And the time pressures facing working families can limit their community involvement. This means that these networks of non-parental resources may now be harder for children and parents to access. In addition, many youth live in families that are under tremendous pressure because of poverty, divorce, teen pregnancy, drug abuse, violence, or stress. These troubled families are often isolated from the larger community and, as a result, the youth in the greatest need of help from outside the family may be the least likely to get it.

Today the number of youth who could benefit from having a caring adult mentor has been estimated to range from between 5 million and 15 million young men and women. Research indicates that students who are successful academically, in addition to support from parents and teachers, usually have sustained access to other knowledgeable and caring adults. For youth who are academically at risk, a mentor can fill this need and may make the difference between whether or not a youth gets on track for future success.

Going to college is seen by the vast majority of students and parents as a key to a good future in the 21^st century. A mentor can provide critical assistance, including extra encouragement, academic help, and most importantly–for students who may not have access to an adult who has been through the college application process–guidance about which courses college-bound students need to take and how to prepare for and apply to college. For example, while research indicates that students who take challenging mathematics and science courses in high school are much more likely to go to college than students who do not, low-income students are much less likely than their higher income peers to take these courses. Mentors can also serve as a vital link to resources which students and their families may otherwise be unaware of, including help in applying for financial aid for college.

Mentoring programs are one of the best means of bringing a person who can represent the concern and support of the larger community into the lives of youth. In many ways, mentoring also represents a return to tradition, calling upon the community to provide our youth with care and guidance, and to nurture and challenge them. While mentoring programs cannot remove all of the obstacles facing youth, they can have a large, positive impact on young lives. By offering youth friendship, guidance, and a positive perspective on life over a sustained period of time, mentoring programs clearly show that someone cares.

*from www.ed.gov