Teen Mentoring Toolkit

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

“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.

The Teen Mentoring Toolkit is a resource designed for schools and other youth serving organizations choosing to engage students in creating a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe community through positive mentoring relationships. This toolkit identifies key areas for consideration as well as evidence-based practices, strategies and tools for planning, implementing and evaluating quality teen mentoring. The information can be adapted by youth-serving organizations partnering with a school or running a teen mentoring program within a community-based setting. This dynamic toolkit provides you with the preliminary resources needed to start your own Teen Mentoring program. The toolkit is intended to be a starting point and will supply you with the key elements needed to develop quality teen mentoring. The toolkit and its contents will need to be adapted to your specific school community and its unique strengths, challenges and values.

Alberta Education believes that in order for children and youth to be successful in school, the learning environment must provide a sense of belonging, acceptance and safety. It is a school boards responsibility to “ensure that each student enrolled in a school operated by the board and each staff member employed by the board is provided with a welcoming, caring, respectful and safe learning environment that respects diversity and fosters a sense of belonging”.

By engaging youth as leaders and mentors in school communities, teen mentoring has the potential to have a powerful impact on students and support a positive, safe and inclusive school culture. Teen mentoring programs have the potential to promote socially responsible relationships amongst students and enhance social inclusion in school environments. The development of caring relationships fosters an environment where students’ differing needs, cultures and abilities are respected and valued. This dynamic toolkit provides you with the preliminary resources needed to start your own Teen Mentoring initiative. The toolkit is intended to be a starting point and will supply you with the key elements needed to develop a quality teen mentoring program. The toolkit and its contents will need to be adapted to your specific school community and its unique strengths, challenges and values.

The original toolkit was developed through a collaboration between the Society for Safe & Caring Schools & Communities and the Alberta Mentoring Partnership. This updated version is a work in progress that will change and improve through feedback from schools, mentors, and mentees. We welcome you to contact us with any comments or suggestions.

 

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Contents of the Teen Mentoring Toolkit:
  • Teen Mentoring: Defines the concept of Teen Mentoring and its many benefits for mentors, mentees and school communities.
  • Getting Started: Assists in developing structured teen mentoring by considering the goals and outcomes, a program logic model and other important details.
  • Recruitment: Provides tools and tips for recruiting appropriate mentors and mentees.
  • Screening & Selection: Provides tools and tips to effectively screen and select participants to ensure success and safety.
  • Training: Provides resources for training and preparing mentors and mentees for their roles.
  • Matching: Provides tips for creating quality mentor/mentee matches.
  • Match Meetings & Activities: Provides ideas and resources for planning fun, goal-driven match meetings and activities.
  • Monitoring & Support: Shares best practices for the ongoing support and supervision of mentor/ mentee relationships.
  • Match Closure: Provides information and tools to facilitate bringing matches to a closure on a positive note.
  • Reflecting, Learning & Improving: Explores ways to integrate reflection, learning and continuous improvement into teen mentoring at your school or organization.
  • Additional Resources: Lists websites, resources, guides, handbooks and tools related to teen mentoring and youth development.

 

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“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.”