Caring adults make a difference!
There is a vast amount of evidence supporting the positive academic and social impacts of having a caring adult in a child’s life. Mentoring provides a means for developing a relationship between a child and a caring adult at school.
Letting loose, Feeling vulnerable
The mentoring relationship is different than a parent-child or teacher-student relationship, which in some ways allows students to feel free to be themselves, have fun, and develop a strong bond with their mentor. Starting a mentor relationship can, however, make even the most seasoned youth workers a bit uneasy. Mentors who are teachers have described the mentor-mentee relationship as very different from the relationships they have with a whole classroom of students. Both mentors and mentees may feel vulnerable at times or have expectations of themselves or the other person in the mentoring relationship.
The Relationship Cycle
Throughout a mentoring relationship, the two participants experience the ongoing relationship cycle: starts with a honeymoon, moves into a testing phase, and levels out into a trusting relationship with consistency, training, and support. Despite ups and downs, mentors and mentees are having a great time together in our program, and it works!
Why Mentoring for Success?
In 2009 less than one-third of San Francisco secondary school students scored high on supportive school environmental factors such as caring adult relationships and opportunities for meaningful participation.
Additionally:
- 7.7% of San Francisco Unified School District's (SFUSD) students are chronically or habitually truant
- at 21%, San Francisco's high school drop-out rate exceeds that of other counties in our region
- African American and Latino students are over-represented in truancy, suspension, and drop-out data
Mentoring For Success Impact
Improved success in school
- 40% of students improved their academic performance 86% said that their mentor helps them do better in school
"I am doing better in school because of my mentor."
Improved Attendance
- 48% of students decreased their number of unexcused absences
"It feels safe, and it is nice to have someone to have fun with."
Caring Relationships
- 77% of matches were sustained for a full 12 months 85% expressed that they like to meet with their mentor
"They are dependable and can help you with school work."
Research Base
Mentoring For Success is a research-based program built on the well-known successes of The National Mentoring Center and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
School-based mentoring programs...
- Reduce school absences
- Improve overall academic performance Increase college participation
- Improve attitudes and behavior in relation to school
- Reduce drug and alcohol use (especially among minority youth)
- Reduce the likelihood of hitting others
- Reduce the likelihood of committing misdemeanors or felonies
- Enhance positive attitude toward elders and toward helping
- Improve parental relationships and support from peers
This page was last updated on April 5, 2023