Building Assets Together: A Guide for Youth Mentors

Description of Resource: The BAT Guide uses a person-centered, asset-based approach to support match goals and foster positive outcomes for mentees. Included in the guide are suggestions for ways mentors can consider and incorporate their mentees’ needs, background, goals, interests, and strengths when planning activities. This resource also provides guidance to help mentors identify mentees’ personal assets and how to enhance these strengths during their day-to-day interactions. Topics are organized to provide mentors with strategies to meet goals during different stages of the mentoring relationship: initiation, growth and maintenance, and closure.

Goals: To provide mentors with research-informed, purposeful, and fun activity suggestions to do with a mentee.

Target Population/Eligibility or Target Sites: Mentoring programs of all types. This guide was developed for mentoring relationships lasting approximately 9-10 months and may be especially relevant for school-based, afterschool site-based, or other time-limited programs.

Corresponding Elements of Effective Practice: Screening and Enrollment (formerly “Screening”), Training, Forming Mentoring Relationships (formerly “Matching and Initiating”), Supporting Mentoring Relationships (formerly “Monitoring and Support”), Relationship Celebration and Program Exit (formerly “Closure”), Program Planning and Management 

Key Personnel: Mentors, program staff supporting matches.

Additional Information: This resource focuses on in-person mentoring programs; for more guidance on virtual mentoring programs you may refer to the following resource: E-Mentoring Supplement to the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring. The process of helping mentees to build assets may be influenced by the mentee’s past experiences, which may include violence and other forms of trauma. The following resource provides mentors with recommendations and resources to help support youth who have experiences with violence and trauma: Supporting Young People in the Wake of Violence and Trauma.

Publisher/Source: Mentoring Central

Author: Mentoring Central

Date of Publication: No date

Resource Type: Program Activities/Match Activities

Evaluation Methodology: Resource has not been evaluated for effectiveness

Evaluation Outcomes: Resource has not been evaluated for effectiveness

External Validity: Resource has not been evaluated for effectiveness

This resources is available for purchase through the Mentoring Central website at:  https://mentoringcentral.net/building-assets-together-a-guide-for-youth-mentors/.

Evidence Base: None

Additional References: None