About Mentoring - Mentoring Basics

The National Mentoring Partnership (MENTOR) outlines basic principles, types of mentoring, and locations in which mentoring occurs.

Responsible mentoring:
•    Is a structured, one-to-one relationship or partnership that focuses on the needs of mentored participants.
•    Fosters caring and supportive relationships.
•    Encourages individuals to develop to their fullest potential.
•    Helps an individual to develop his or her own vision for the future.
•    Is a strategy to develop active community partnerships.

Types of Mentoring:
There are numerous types of mentoring and it can take many forms: traditional mentoring (one adult to one young person); group mentoring (one adult to up to four young people); team mentoring (several adults working with small groups of young people, in which the adult-to-youth ratio is not greater than 1:4); peer mentoring (caring youth mentoring other youth); and e-mentoring (mentoring via e-mail and the Internet).

Locations of Mentoring:
Mentoring can take place in a wide array of settings, such as at a workplace, in a school, at a faith-based organization, at a juvenile corrections facility, in a community setting and in the virtual community, where e-mentoring takes place.