About Mentoring and After-School Programs

Mentoring programs, which began in the United States in the early 1900's, have grown tremendously over the past twenty-five years. It is becoming clear that involving youth in quality mentoring programs can dramatically increase pro-social behaviors and success in life. This is also true of youth who participate in structured after-school programs. Recent studies have found that youth participating in mentoring programs and/or structured after-school activities:

  • Were significantly less likely to use tobacco, drugs or alcohol;

  • Were significantly less likely to carry weapons or hit someone;

  • Were significantly less likely to have sex with multiple partners;

  • Demonstrated improved school attendance, performance and attitudes toward completing schoolwork; and

  • Demonstrated improved peer and family relationships.

What is Youth Mentoring?

Youth mentoring is a relationship between an adult and a child, with the goal of assisting youth in achieving personal, academic, career, and/or social goals. According to Jean Rhodes in her 2001 article entitled: Youth Mentoring in Perspective, 'an estimated five million American youth are involved in school and community-based volunteer mentoring programs, ranging from the prototypic Big Brothers/Big Sisters to other, less structured programs.' (Rhodes, J. (2001) 'Youth Mentoring in Perspective', The Center Summer. Republished in the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/learningmentors/youth_mentoring_in_perspective.htm. Last updated: March 2003.)

What Makes Mentoring Successful?

The most important aspect of mentoring is the relationship. Trust, confidence, enthusiasm, and commitment to the relationship are keys to successful programs. CAM strives to find suitable matches for each student by conducting thorough screenings, training and support.

Access Coaches are trained to foster and sustain effective relationships by doing the following:

  • Maintaining a steady presence in each student's life.

  • Focusing on the student's needs ---not the coach's.

  • Getting to know the family without getting over-involved.

  • Seeking out and using the help of the CAM support staff.

To contrast, less effective relationships may include the following:

  • Irregular/inconsistent meeting times.

  • Using an authoritarian tone.

  • Putting more emphasis on the student's behavior than on the relationship.

  • Imposing values inconsistent with the child's life.

The Importance of Afterschool Participation

After the school day has ended, it is estimated that 40 percent of a young person's time is often unstructured, unsupervised, and unproductive. Several studies have shown an increase in at-risk behaviors between the hours of 3:00 and 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. These at-risk behaviors include: a spike in the number of youth who are arrested or victims of crime, sexual activity and substance abuse. Students who have access to quality afterschool programs are much less likely to engage in these at-risk behaviors.