On Recruiting College-Age Mentors

A team from the University of Oklahoma’s Lindsey + Asp Advertising and Public Relations Agency researched, assembled focus groups, and developed a presentation to recruit college-age mentors. This information applies to other populations, too. Several of these points relate to data-gathering and data- and testimony-dissemination.

Here are their qualitative findings, which actually complement the quantitative research from Oklahoma’s First Mentoring Survey, 2013.

Passion

College students need to be passionate about their service. In sororities, fraternities, and service organizations, hours of community service are required. Service must be fun, not a chore.

Organization and Structure

The mentoring organization must have an effective structure. The entire mentoring process must be laid out with clear tasks. Students must know everything in advance. Desiring ease, they do not want to worry about administration.

Accessibility

From how to become involved to whom to contact at the school or for problems, students need information and resources. Email, social media, and websites are important for communication.

Required Hours

Fulfilling required hours must be worthwhile.

Variety of Services

What are the mentors doing? They need to know specifics, e.g., building self-esteem, improving academics, developing social skills, teaching conflict resolution, resolving anger, and so on.

Impact of Mentors on Mentees

College students want to know what their time spent actually yields. For example, this is your mentee, and this is how he or she has improved.

Importance of Mentoring

Who has benefited from mentoring? International, national, state, or local former mentees--sometimes celebrities--to whom they may relate are helpful. Anecdotes can also illustrate the results of mentoring. This is part of the emotional appeal.  

Variety

Mentors come from a wide variety of backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, socio-economic levels, etc. Freshmen through graduate students mentor. Some 2013-14 Boren Mentoring Initiative mentors' majors include engineering, pharmacy, microbiology, biochemistry, business, advertising, psychology, agricultural education, history, and health and exercise science. 

In Oklahoma, the youngest organized mentors are high school age, and the oldest are in their nineties. Mentors range from custodians to CEO’s and company chairmen. Almost anyone can be a mentor, and often those who thought they could not mentor are the best.

Expectations

Requirements, issues, processes, accountability, training, commitment, resources, activities, problems, closure, help, and other components of mentoring must be revealed. Nothing should be hidden or glossed over just to sell the program.

We thank Nick Howard and Colleen Owen for all of their time and expertise for this information and the other work they have led and executed on behalf of the Boren Mentoring Initiative.

Nick Howard

Advertising Senior 2014, University of Oklahoma 

Lindsey + Asp Advertising and Public Relations

Account Lead/Strategist 

Colleen Owen  

University of Oklahoma

Advertising/Film & Media Studies

Lindsey + Asp Project Manager

Integrity Council Member

Lindsey + Asp is a student-led, professional PR firm at the University of Oklahoma.

http://lindseyandasp.com/ 

                                                                                              

Phone conversation, May 8, 2014

44th Helping Hands Appreciation Brunch

Yukon PS mascot, a Miller (as in grain)

Highlights

• Large program - 685 volunteers collectively in 2013-14

• Organization model for volunteer management

• Donations

• $1.33 million dollars of time donated to Yukon Public Schools ($22.14 @ hour national average for volunteer time)

• Goal  of programming – Keep the caring, small town atmosphere for a rapidly growing suburban community

Comments Reflecting Yukon’s Community Attitude

As people arrived and chatted

Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.

Our volunteers have a passion to put church, school, and community before themselves.

The foundation of our growing, vibrant community is our citizens, who go above and beyond to make the schools their and our students’ home. 

[Bing Dictionary defines home as “the place where someone feels that he or she belongs.”]

Quotes by Christine Sorrels at the brunch

Volunteers

• Miller Mentors actually mentor singly or in pairs once a week.

WATCH D.O.G.S. shirt

• WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads of Great Students) Dads, granddads, and/or other male relatives spend time in the schools being in the halls, being outside, helping teachers, relating to kids, and serving as needed. Their presence and attitudes are the keys.  TOP DOGS coordinate other DOGS.

• Academic Tutors High school students mentor middle and elementary school students

WATCH DOG S Anecdote
One young dad came to check out his child’s school, saw and talked to the Watch DOGS (and granddads), went back to work to extol the positivity of what he saw, and was given one day a month off work while on the company clock to hang out in the school.

Learn about WATCH DOGS at Fathers.com, http://www.fathers.com/content/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=60

Organization – 1 director, 2 staff, 12 volunteer site coordinators

Along with other duties, Christine Sorrels, director, Helping Hand Volunteer & Miller Mentor Program, and her two assistants, Christal Whitmire and Donna Klukas, administer the volunteer program from one bullpen office. Each of Yukon's twelve schools, including the high school, has a volunteer coordinator, who often has a full-time job. When Yukon PS needs volunteers, Christine contacts the school coordinator, who then contacts volunteers.

This hierarchy--similar to the old-fashioned Sunday School "calling tree"--uses social media, too. Christine, Christal and Donna do interact directly with the volunteers by developing a first-name basis and close relationship with all of them.

Gary Cannon with Sophie, a HALO "mentor"

Donations & Recognition

• Volunteer Awards

Along with the Yukon Businesses & Alumni, one business—in this case, OFG Financial’s Kyle Ruzicka, picks up the tab for the awards, based upon years of service in increments of five.  Some mentors and volunteers have served 35 years. Mentors and other volunteers come in all ages, sexes and ages. One is even a dog, Sophie!

• Pin at Graduation

Academic Tutors were a special pin, the only piece of jewelry permitted on their gowns or cowls at graduation. Being an Academic Tutor is truly a distinction.Coming soon a photo of an Academic Tutor pin!

Buffet line

• Posters Tracking Hours

In another room were framed posters of names of volunteers and hours served for each school. The data was already tracked during the year so this became another way of honoring the volunteers.

• Fruit

Each year the fruit is donated by means of two women who used to volunteer but now work. They contact friends at grocery stores, get the fruit donated, pick it up, and deliver it to the caterer. The fruit was presented first, a healthy best practice!

Decorations with Purpose

One of Lakeview 's volunteer tables

Rose centerpiece

Dahlia centerpiece

On tables at the brunch were the names of each school so that the staff and volunteers could sit together. Some schools had many tables! Academic Tutors sat together as a unit. One volunteer made all of the flower decorations. 

The YHS Vocal Jazz Ensemble entertained

Volunteering/mentoring tracking posters reflect hours served only through the end of the third nine weeks.

Levels of status
Gold - 500+ hours
Silver - 250+
Bronze - 100+

Academic Tutors' detail: Name, School, Hours Served

Resource for Positive Attitude and Development

• Resource for a mentor and mentee or for groups or classes

• Time - beginning of the school year

• Loan from a library rather than purchase 

• Adult "original" for older youths or adults 

The Energy Bus for Kids: A Story about Staying Positive and Overcoming Challenges by Jon Gordon

Photo from Amazon.com

Amy Wright, the after-school program director for Putnam City Schools, shares that the Energy Bus for Kids is a resource she learned about from a program director who oversees 67 schools in Northside Independent School District in San Antonio.  

"At the beginning of the school year, the after-school program goes over this book with the students, and she said it really helps set a positive tone for the year," Amy said.

http://energybuskids.com/ For a free downloadable adult guide 

From Amazon.com

An illustrated adaptation of the bestselling business fable, The Energy Bus, teaches children the benefits of staying positive

In this illustrated adaptation of the bestselling fable, The Energy Bus, author Jon Gordon shows children how to overcome negativity, bullies and everyday challenges to be their best. The Energy Bus For Kids is a story that will teach kids how to find their inner motivation and pass on that positive energy to others.

• The Energy Bus For Kids presents five rules for the "Ride of Your Life"
• Teaches kids how to fuel your ride with positive energy
• Shares with kids how to love the people you share your journey with and how to enjoy the ride

Positive kids become positive adults. So get kids on the Energy Bus and infuse their lives with a newfound vision, attitude, and positivity.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Energy-Bus-Kids-Overcoming/dp/1118287355/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_y  Ret. 5-14

Amazon.com

The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy by Jon Gordon 

Management, teamwork, goals, vision, etc. 

http://www.leadership-tools.com/the-energy-bus.html

Amy shared this resource at an Oklahoma Out-of-School Time Alliance (OOSTA) meeting, April 30, 2014.

Career Exploration Activities for Groups or Mentors-Mentees, Part II

More fun ways to explore careers from Life Skills and Career Exploration Activities for Teens, by Kristina Marshall, president & CEO, Winning Futures...

Perhaps adapt ideas from 

http://www.careercruising.com/newmedia/docs/canadian/activities/Activity3_en.pdf

Many free online career resources allow people to click on occupations, salaries, skills and training requirements, and other aspects of careers. 

Years ago in a graduate-level English composition class, the professor had us do a similar exercise with Tinker Toy pieces. Standing back to back, one person described how he was building his creation. Without watching, the other person could only hear how to assemble the same toy. Communication failed every time! Try it. 







http://winningfutures.org/


From the presentation at the National Mentoring Summit 2013, January 24, 2013, Washington, DC

Career Exploration Activities for Groups or Mentors-Mentees, Part I

Kristina Marshall, president & CEO, Winning Futures, shared many fun ways to explore careers. Below are some from her presentation, Life Skills and Career Exploration Activities for Teens. 

[Our personal favorite is the "Six-Week Educational/Career Goal Evaluator." What's yours?]

By Googling coat of arms templates, you will see examples for every age from elementary school to college. Contents can vary, but the coat of arms is also an effective mentor-mentee icebreaker and activity.

Again by Googling values scenario cards, examples from many sources and for different ages are available. The actions and consequences scenario cards below are engaging.

http://assets.sportrelief.com/docs/schools/pdfs/martin/martins_action_cards.pdf]

Yes, this activity is for middle school, high school, and Career Tech! You can search online for a discussion guide, but either the facilitator or the students can develop the questions. Discussion might cover work, ethics, personal talent, friends, proper ways of showing emotions, fitting into a group, Mama Bear's motivation, etc. 

Borrowing from the website below, we learn plaques have four questions in common. Who is giving you a 5-Year Vision plaque and why are you receiving it? What will you have earned or accomplished at the end of your five years?

1) Who is giving the plaque? 

2) Who is receiving the plaque? 

3) What is the plaque for? 

4) When is the plaque presented? 

http://www.fireawards.com/what-to-say-on-my-plaque.html]

'What an incredible tool to build goal-setting and goal-achieving skills! Successfully mastering six-week chunks builds competency for longer range goals. Use this evaluator regularly! Talk through obstacles, including procrastination.

See Part II of this blog topic for more ideas from Winning Futures.

http://winningfutures.org/

From the presentation at the National Mentoring Summit 2013, January 24, 2013, Washington, DC

Become a Mentor!

from the 2014 National Mentoring Month Campaign sponsored by

MENTOR National Mentoring Partnership
Corporation for National and Community Service
Harvard School of Public Health
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP)
United Way

Sample Five-Year Goals & Evaluator

Again reviewing the steps from Winning Futures' strategy...

Winning Futures' Five Steps to Success 

• Vision A form of daydreaming: your own mental picture of how you see yourself or what you want...

• Goal Something specific to strive toward. List the benefits...and sacrifices of the goal.

• Plan A detailed list of the action steps you must take to achieve your goal. List the obstacles...

• Commitment Helps you stick to your goals...

• Success Each person individually defines his or her own success...

Sample Five-Year Goals

• Be hired by the city of Sterling Heights as a police officer.

• After my junior year, have a summer internship at Ford in the finance division.

• Be hired by GM to work as a chemical engineer at the truck plant in Pontiac.

• After working at the local nail salon, be hired by Nordstrom's Spa.

• Become Microsoft Certified in Systems Engineering (MCSE) and work at Metro Credit Union as their network specialist.

• Finish certification program at a local community college and become a master mechanic at Hamilton Chevrolet.

• Be a real estate agent at Century 21 with 10 homes listed at all times.

• Change my job from a small doctor's office to the Beaumont Urgent Care Center in Royal Oak.

• Student teach at my elementary school and pursue a career in my school district.

To have the career you want, you have to work hard. The job market is extremely competitive, and you have to be ready for anything. Make sure that your five-year goal is very specific with detailed steps that lead to your career. Make connections with professionals in your field to help guide you along the way!

Example Five-Year Goal Evaluator

1. My career VISION is live a comfortable lifestyle, enjoy going to work, and somehow work around cars.

2. My specific career GOAL is graduate from Walsh College with a bachelor's degree in finance and work at Chase Bank.

Benefits stable company. long-term career, make good money

Sacrifices paying even more for school, traveling farther to school, may have to move away

3. The obstacles I may come across are having no experience in finance, it is difficult to get into Chase, tough classes

The specific PLAN I will take:

• Step One Once at Walsh, I will utilize their tutoring services, make appointments with my professors for help, and get a part-time job as a receptionist at an accounting company. Complete by the end of my first semester.

• Step Two After my first year at Walsh, work with the career center to interview for a summer internship at Chase. Have my finance professors and employer write letters of recommendation, update my resume, and practice interviewing. Complete during my second semester at Walsh.

• Step Three During my next year at Walsh, schedule classes so I may continue working as an intern, complete all of my credits for graduation, and continue to get help from my professors. Complete during my third semester at Walsh.

• Step Four Interview for a permanent job at Chase, and apply for other jobs through the career center. Accept the best job and start after graduation. Complete in five years.

4. I make a personal COMMITMENT to achieve each step so that I can accomplish my goal!

5. I will reach my SUCCESS by five years from today

http://winningfutures.org/  

Excerpts from a workbook for sale

Achieving Success Workbook

A Guide to Designing Your Future
Planning for the Future
High School and Young Adult Student Workbook

http://www.winningfuturesbooks.org/workbooks/achieving_success/HSTappingIntoYourPotential.pdf
Ret. 4-28-14

Winning Futures presented at the National Mentoring Summit 2013