Child mentoring involves an adult taking a young person under his wing and spending a small amount of time with him, typically weekly. During mentoring sessions, children can discuss school and home issues with their mentors, and practice life management skills. Some mentoring programs involve recreational activities, like sports or outings, while others are more like tutoring sessions. Regardless of the form, mentoring has positive social benefits for kids involved.
Improved Classroom Behavior
Mentoring reduces problem behavior in schoolchildren, according to research done by the University of Rochester Medical Center. Researchers conducted a study which involved 14 weekly sessions lasting 25 minutes each. During the sessions, children would meet with their mentors and practice skills to help them maintain emotional control and reduce conflict with others. Teachers reported improved behavior in these children, including less aggression and fewer disruptive incidents. Socialization improved, and suspensions and other disciplinary actions were significantly reduced. Published in 2010 in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, the study demonstrated that mentoring delivered by trained adults is capable of producing social benefits without requiring treatment by mental health professionals.
Better Self-Esteem
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign runs a mentoring program for local schoolchildren (see Resources), usually starting when they are in sixth grade. Counselors and schoolteachers refer children who are having academic trouble, truancy issues and low self-esteem to university faculty and staff members for help. The program matches children with adults who have common interests. One of the benefits of the program is improved self-esteem, which in turn benefits the social skills of the children who are mentored. Mentoring can improve a child's relationships, as well as her grades and attitude towards school.
Cultural Awareness
Ohio State University's College Mentors for Kids is a nonprofit organization that pairs up college students with first- through fourth-graders for mentoring. Some of the activities they engage in promote the understanding of other cultures. For example, students may celebrate Cinco de Mayo to gain exposure to Mexican culture. Mentors also foster appreciation for different musical genres in younger students by having them sit in an orchestra class or learn a hip-hop dance routine. These activities expand the world view of mentored children by exposing them to aspects of cultures and societies that are different from their own.
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