What is mentoring?
The concept of dates back to Greek Mythology, and earlier. How to become a mentor is a common question, and some might not know where to start. How to become a mentor is still a common question within communities. These relationships are valued as an effective means to personal growth and development in a personal and professional sense. The two individuals, the mentor and the mentoree, have a relationship that is a non-reporting one. The relationship is based on a mutual desire for development towards goals and objectives.
Types of mentoring models
One-on-One Mentoring
In this traditional model, there is one mentor that is matched with one mentoree within a program, and the relationship is monitored within a timeframe of 9-12 months. In most cases, the match is intentional based on certain internal criteria. As the oldest mentoring program in NYC, Big Brothers Big Sisters is an example of this type of mentoring, and have had a hand in pairing upwards of 5,000 NYC youths with mentors every year.
Skill Set Mentoring
This model is tied directly to a program that involves training in a skill. The mentor is assigned to the mentoree to pass along knowledge that will develop the specific skills being taught in the program. Girls Write Now is a great example. They recruit professional writers to help NYC’s young female writers turn their raw words into powerful stories.
Online Mentoring
As the name implies, online mentoring is a means of providing guided mentoring relationships using an online software or email as a form of communication. By using an online software, both the mentor and mentoree can communicate through a secure network under the supervision of moderators and coordinators. DIY is an adult-monitored site that uses this model, and offers online courses to engage kids with similar interests and expand their skills.
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