About Mentoring - Types of Programs

Mentoring in Schools.  Three key research reports provide a clear and in-depth picture of school-based mentoring. School-based mentoring has risen dramatically in the last decade.

Peer mentoring (cross-age). In cross-age programs, the mentor is an older youth, typically a high school student, who is paired or matched with an elementary or middle school-aged child. MENTOR’s Research in Action series devotes an entire module to peer mentoring.

Group mentoring. Group mentoring occurs in varied forms in diverse programs. In Washington, some organizations affiliated with large national organizations mentor youth in groups, e.g., Boys & Girls Clubs, YMCA’s and YWCA’s; colleges and universities, e.g., Gonzaga University and Western Washington University, and outdoor experiential programs.

Intern Mentoring. Some schools fully integrate curriculum and career internship or mentoring experiences. In the national Big Picture High School model, students learn in the real world with a dedicated mentor in the field of the student’s interest.

e-mentoring. E-mail can be the sole vehicle for young people and mentors to connect or it can be an additional communication tool for those who ordinarily meet in person. E-mentoring shares the goal of face-to-face mentoring: establishing a trusting, nurturing, positive relationship between the mentor and a young person.