Indicator: 21 - Youth Mentored

 

 

Why This Is Important

MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership defines mentoring as a structured and trusting
relationship that brings young people together with caring individuals who offer guidance,
support and encouragement aimed at developing the competence and character of the mentee.

Research shows that young people who are involved in safe and effective mentoring programs
are more likely to experience improved academic performance, school attendance, self-esteem, attitudes, communications skills, and peer and family relationships. They are also less likely to
begin using illegal drugs or alcohol, or to engage in physical violence. This evidence demonstrates
that a mentoring relationship is a significant protective factor for both the person mentoring and
the person receiving the attention of the mentor.

Nationally and in Maine the barriers to creating mentoring programs include lack of adequate
funding, expensive mentor screening procedures, limited number of willing volunteers, and more
female than male volunteers.

 

 

Where We Stand

Maine Mentoring Partnership (established in 2001 as the successor to the Governor’s
Committee on Mentoring Youth) is a statewide public-private partnership that complements
and channels the work and resources of the Governor’s Children’s Cabinet. Its work reflects widespread belief among stakeholders that assuring children access to a caring adult is a top
priority, and that mentoring is the most effective but under-utilized strategy for doing this in Maine.

Maine Mentoring Partnership’s mission is to promote, advocate, foster and support child and
youth mentoring programs throughout Maine. It focuses on six key result areas: public awareness, resource development/distribution, mentor recruitment/referral, technical assistance/training, public policy, and data collection/tracking improvements in service. It fosters greater inter-organization collaboration, which results in smarter use of resources and more youth in quality mentoring relationships. The goal is to increase the number of recruited, screened, trained, supported,
evaluated and celebrated mentors to provide 15% (35,000) of Maine’s children and youth with mentoring relationships by the year 2005.

The Partnership’s Providers Council (formed in 2002) advises the Partnership on mentoring
needs across the state. The Council’s tasks include a biennial Statewide Survey of Mentoring
to assess the needs and capacity of mentoring providers. The 100 provider responses to the
May 2004 survey revealed that there were 6,375 youth in Maine who had a mentor, with 3,750
in 1:1 Adult to Youth Mentoring Relationships; 1,158 in 1:1 Peer Mentoring Relationships;
1,246 in Group Mentoring Relationships (one adult with up to four youth); and 221 in Team
Mentoring Relationships (several adults working with small groups of young people, with an
adult to youth ratio of 1:4 or less). There were 1,096 youth reported on waiting lists for mentors.

 

 

Data Sources and Context

The data for this indicator came from the 2004 Statewide Survey of Mentoring Providers
conducted by Maine Mentoring Partnership’s Providers Council. Further information about
mentoring in Maine is available on-line at the Partnership’s website,
http://www.mainementoring.org.