Theories & Approaches
Foundations of a Successful Youth Mentoring Program: A Checklist
Adapted with permission from the National Mentoring Center
Mentoring programs that positively impact the lives of youth are the result of systematic design across a number of critical program areas. As an overview of how to set up a strong youth mentoring program, this checklist will help you gauge the efforts necessary to launch a youth mentoring program. For information about "Foundations of Successful Youth Mentoring: A Guidebook for Program Development," visit: www.nwrel.org/mentoring/foundations.html
1. Strong Agency Capacity
A written recruitment plan with multiple strategies. |
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Strong knowledge of mentoring and youth development research. |
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Written policy and procedure manual. |
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Access to training and technical assistance services. |
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Diversity of youth and community being served is reflected in the program. |
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Qualified and trained staff. |
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Evidence of agency support (from board or parent agency). |
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Community awareness of the program. |
2. Proven Program Design
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A written recruitment plan with multiple strategies. |
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Initial orientation for prospective mentors and mentees. |
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Established mentor/mentee intake procedures. |
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Appropriate mentor screening procedures. |
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Pre-match training for all new mentors and mentees. |
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Established matching procedure. |
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Established procedure for monitoring matches. |
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Support, ongoing training, and recognition for volunteers. |
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Established match closure procedure. |
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Stable and appropriate number of matches with a high retention rate. |
3. Effective Community Partnerships
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Effective collaboration with partner organizations. |
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Collaboration and networking with other local youth-service. |
4. Sustainable Resource Development
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Established resource development committee. |
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Assessment of internal resources. |
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Assessment of external resources. |
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Written resource development plan. |
5. Useful Program Evaluation
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Design and implementation of a local program evaluation. |
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Use of evaluation data for program enhancement. |
Source
National Mentoring Center. (2003). Foundations of Successful Youth Mentoring: A Guidebook for Program Development. Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Portland, OR. Online: www.nwrel.org/mentoring/foundations.html
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