Adult Mentors

Many programs establish an existing adult board member as a mentor for each youth representative. This relationship can help youth feel more comfortable at the outset of their term and provides a specific person to whom the representative can direct questions.

Mentor Relationships

Specific mentor relationships were highlighted as being highly effective.  In particular, mentors who took time to meet with their mentees outside of committee meetings were recognized as exemplary by both adults and youth.  These additional meetings enabled youth to better understand the material presented in meetings and also make greater contributions to discussion.  Some youth expressed a desire to formally meet their mentors before the first committee meeting in order to establish a stronger relationship. 

Recruiting Mentors

Programs have found that some mentors are more effective at connecting with their mentees than others.  For this reason, it is imperative that the best possible mentors are selected.  Mentors who are unable to fulfill their responsibilities may cause the mentees to feel isolated in their boards and committees.