Workplace Program Resources
Models -- Advantages and Challenge
Businesses, municipalities, and other workplaces that are interested in engaging employees in youth mentoring tend to adopt specific types of program models. Depending on the size of the organization, more than one model or a hybrid of different models may used. The chart below outlines the characteristics, advantages and challenges of each model to help an employer decide which path to take.
| Community-based mentoring partnership |
School-based mentoring partnership |
Employee-driven mentoring |
What is it?
The employer selects one (or more) community-based mentoring programs with which to partner and sends all employees interested in mentoring to those programs.
Who administers it?
Other than recruiting mentors, the mentoring program administers virtually all aspects of the program for the employer – from identifying the mentees, matching mentees and mentors, to screening prospective mentors (e.g., CORIs), to training, to mentor-mentee oversight and support, to evaluation. The employer recruits the mentors.
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What is it?
The employer chooses one or more schools with which to partner and sends all employees interested in mentoring to those schools.
Who administers it?
Typically the school and employer each have roles in administering the program. The employer recruits and tracks the mentors; the school identifies prospective mentees, provides mentee training, gets parent permission, coordinates mentor screening process, administers the program on a daily basis, and provides support to both mentor and mentee. The school and employer work together to make the mentor-mentee matches, orient and train the mentors, plan activities and evaluate the program.
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What is it?
This is more of a hands-off approach where the employer simply provides a list of all mentoring programs in a particular geographic area and leaves it up to the employee to choose a program, make the connection and become a mentor.
Who administers it?
Each mentoring program administers virtually all aspects of the program. The employer’s role is to promote mentoring opportunities to employees, and ideally, track which employees become mentors.
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Advantages
| Community-based mentoring partnership |
School-based mentoring partnership |
Employee-driven mentoring |
Minimal administrative burden on employer.
Directly helps to reduce program waiting list for mentors since kids with critical needs already identified.
Mentor- mentee have freedom to go places, do things on a one-on-one basis,out in the community because of the supervisory infrastructure provided by the mentoring program.
Employer can select a program partner that has a specific desired focus, such as boys or girls, academics, arts & culture, recreation, etc. |
Employer benefits from a “signature” initiative – gets to put own mark/name on initiative.
Provides direct window in academic environment, helping to target mentor-mentee relationship to promote positive academic outcomes.
School supports available to mentors (guidance counselors, school psychologists, administrators, etc.)
Mentor-mentee meetings indirectly supervised if held at school or off-school grounds during lunch period (i.e., systems are in place to keep track of student); contact between mentor and mentee outside of school structure is discouraged.
Opportunity for mentor-mentee matches to participate in group activities scheduled by the employer and school as part of the program. |
Least amount of administrative burden on employer – mostly hands-off.
Fastest to implement.
Gives employees freedom to choose a program that best matches their interests or needs (e.g., specializes in an particular area; close to home or work; etc.).
Directly helps to reduce program waiting list for mentors since kids with critical needs already identified. |
Challenges
| Community-based mentoring partnership |
School-based mentoring partnership |
Employee-driven mentoring |
Employees typically come to identify their experience with the community program running the initiative rather than their employer name/brand.
Employer has little control/influence over program.
Community based programs are not usually structured to measure academic impact of mentoring relationship.
One program may not serve all the employer’s needs due to limited geographic reach. |
Employer assumes key administrative roles, which usually require a financial investment.
Significant school support needs to be developed or identified.
Requires sufficient lead time for planning prior to start of school year.
If students will miss any class time, mentoring program buy-in needs to be fostered at the teacher level. |
Difficult to measure positive outcomes experienced by mentees; effort is needed to measure impact on mentors.
Employer has little or no ongoing engagement with the mentors or mentoring programs.
Lack of consistency among mentor experiences since each program operates differently.
Promotional outreach for recruiting mentors can be time consuming. |
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