Are you looking for a new, rewarding activity to add to your lifestyle? Would you love to find fulfillment while having a positive impact on the life of someone years younger than you? If so, mentorship programs are looking for you!
Research confirms that quality mentoring relationships have powerful positive effects on young peoples’ personal, academic, and professional lives. According to Mentoring.org, in providing mentors to young adults at risk of deviating into destructive lifestyles, they became 55 percent more likely to enroll in college, 78 percent more likely to volunteer regularly, 90 percent more interested in becoming a mentor, and 130 percent more likely to hold leadership positions. The effects are profound, displaying the need for a mentor in every child’s life. However, one in three young people will grow up without this critical asset. That’s where you can help.
Mentoring, at its core, is the practice of taking someone from a younger generation under your wing, showing support and acting as a resource of encouragement throughout their life. It can be enormously beneficial to the mentee, many of whom lack stable family life and may be embarking on a troublesome path.
But the benefits of mentorship don’t stop there. There is a mutual opportunity for learning and growth. Many mentors express deep enjoyment about having a positive influence on a younger person’s life, and they learn a good deal about themselves in the process. Mentors feel a rise in self-esteem and personal value, gain a better understanding of other cultures, gain a greater appreciation for diversity, feel more productive, and improve their relationships with their own children.
The positive effects are endless if the mentor takes the time to get to know their mentee and learn about what is important to them. It has proven an incredible way to add meaning to peoples’ lives.
Here are some of our favorite mentorship resources on the web:
Take a look at each of these websites, and join the cause. It is a win-win situation. For young adults, they see profound impacts on their report cards, their home and social life, and their long-term career success. For mentors, they gain an invaluable connection with younger generations, opening their eyes to the struggles adolescents face today, and create deeper purpose and meaning in their lives. In connecting with a young adult in need, mentors can have a direct positive impact on society at large, and collectively make a massive benefit in our culture.
Have you had an experience as a mentor/mentee before? How did it impact your life? Share your favorite stories below!
