Teen Mentoring Toolkit

Tools for planning, implementing and evaluating a quality school or community-based teen mentoring Initiative

Specific Mentoring Resources

Introduction

Teen Mentoring

Getting Started

Recruitment

Screening & Selection

Training

Matching

Match Meetings & Activites

Monitoring & Support

Match Closure

Reflecting, Learning & Improving

Additional Resources

References

Training

“Students are entitled to welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environments that respect diversity and nurture a sense of belonging and a positive sense of self.” Education Act.

Mentors

Initial and ongoing mentor training is an essential component of successful teen mentoring initiatives. It serves to prepare students for the role of a mentor by developing needed skills and knowledge as well as an understanding of the roles, responsibilities and characteristics of a successful teen mentor. Training also helps potential mentors to determine if the initiative and commitment is right for them. Teen mentors who receive at least 2 hours of training are more likely to experience higher-quality and closer relationships with their mentees and have longer lasting matches. Students need to participate in training prior to being approved and partnered with a mentee. Initial and ongoing training opportunities will prepare and empower mentors for their role.

Mentor Training Opportunities

Alberta Mentoring Partnership Online Training Module for Mentors

The Alberta Mentoring Partnership Online Training Module for mentors is a free resource that provides students with an overview of some of the core concepts of mentoring and what it means to be a mentor. Students complete five short modules before taking a quiz to demonstrate their learning:

Course Introduction and Learning Objectives
History of Mentoring
How to be a Mentor
The Mentoring Relationship – Dynamics and Guidelines
Mentoring Programs

Step 4: Tool A – AMP Online Mentor Training – Getting Started document can be shared with students to guide them through the process of using the Alberta Mentoring Partnership’s online mentor training. Students are provided with a certificate upon completion. Students should complete the online training module prior to attending the In Person Training as an introduction to mentoring.

Initiative staff can e-mail mentor.support@albertamentors.ca to set up an admin account to keep track of the students’ participation and grades. Bringing the teen mentors together, each on their own device, and going through the training ensures that each person understands the information. It provides the opportunity to pause and give further explanation or answer questions that may arise. Being on their own device allows them to receive a certificate of participation.

In-Person Teen Mentor Training

In-person training is also an important part of screening and preparing potential teen mentors. It allows staff to observe how students communicate and interact, their understanding of content, and whether they have the qualities that make them suitable for a teen mentoring program. A Teen Mentor Training PowerPoint is available, and can be adapted to suit your setting and needs. The PowerPoint provides information on a variety of topics relevant to Teen Mentoring and provides opportunities for student interaction through discussions and activities to keep students engaged.

The goals of the in person training are to help mentors:

Develop the skills and characteristics required to build caring mentoring relationships
Understand the challenges and barriers their mentees may face and how to be sensitive to those issues and their impact on the mentees’ lives
Gain confidence in their role as a mentor and feel inspired to commit their time to the initiative

You can also access the Mentor Training Event Toolkit for further support in planning, organizing and facilitating the training as a larger scale event.
If there is a mentoring organization in or close to your community, they may be able to assist with the in-person training.

Ongoing Mentor Training Opportunities and Support

Teens benefit from consistent reinforcement, encouragement and praise as they practice the skills they have learned. As they gain practical experience, they will benefit from ongoing training opportunities where they will be better able to relate the information to the work they are doing. Ongoing training may increase the likelihood of longer-lasting relationships and has been found to predict more positive youth outcomes. Ongoing training can take the form of workshops, presentations from community agencies, a mid-year training session, and informal discussions at the weekly or bi-weekly check in meeting.throughout the process. Depending on the goals of the teen mentoring initiative, teen mentors may also receive specialized training to assist them in understanding specific youth development issues and topics (such as positive youth development, resiliency, bullying behaviour, mental health or drugs and alcohol use). The Additional Resources section of this toolkit provides a list of additional books, articles, guides and toolkits that may be used for ongoing training opportunities.

Mentees

Training your mentees will help them get the most out of the mentoring experience. Mentoring initiatives operate best when mentees are taught how to use their mentors for support. Mentee training increases the likelihood of a match succeeding and enhances mentee safety⁵.

Mentee Training Opportunities

Alberta Mentoring Partnership Online Training Module for Mentees (appropriate for ages 12 & under):

Free resource that provides students with an overview of some of the core concepts of being a mentee. Concepts covered include:

What is a mentor? What is a mentee?
Getting to know your mentor
Let’s be safe and have good boundaries
My strengths
All about me

Step 4: Tool B – AMP Mentee Training Handbook provides more information on how to set up and use the online
training module. This resource is appropriate for mentees ages 12 and under.

In Person Mentee Training
Mentees will benefit from opportunities to get to know each other and begin developing a sense of community with
other participants. It is also important that they form relationships with staff so that the match is seen within
a positive, supported context.

Topics that may be included in mentee training include:

Program expectations, rules, guidelines and commitment
Mentee roles and responsibilities
Mentor roles and responsibilities – what a mentor is and what a mentor is not
Benefits of being a mentee
Basic communication skills
Basic problem-solving and conflict resolution skills
How to best utilize their mentors for support
Who to talk to if they have questions or when something feels wrong or uncomfortable
Confidentiality and its limitations
Child safety

“We acknowledge that we are on and support Mentoring for Youth in the traditional territories across Alberta of the many First Nations from Treaty 6,7,& 8, the Métis of the 8 Alberta Settlements, and Inuit people whose footsteps have marked these lands for centuries.”