Making Connections

1
Making Connections

• Training for Mentors of High School TeamMates

2
Connection to Mentoring

• Keeping youth involved with mentoring is
  powerful!
• Make mentoring meaningful
• Think like a high school student
• Engage them in the process
• Be flexible
• Communicate with the school/TeamMates staff

3
Connections to School

• Having a mentor helps kids graduate from school!
• Four Main Reasons kids leave school
• Life event dropout
• Struggler-academically challenged
• Push out-unruly, difficult, trouble-maker
• Fade out-doing well but cant deal with
  regimen/rules
• 88 were passing coursework but dropped because
  of boredom (Gates Found.)

4
Key School Connections

• Guidance counselor
• School nurse/psychologist
• Tutoring center and after school programs
• Career center or computer lab
• Existing tutoring and after school programs
• Libraries (both school and public)
• Teachers (and the content being taught in the
  classroom)
• Academic clubs (a science club, for example)
• Job shadowing and career exploration
  opportunities
• Help mentee create a contact list of all of the
  helpful people in their school building.

5
Sometimes it is as simple as asking for help!

• Help your mentee to ask others for help with
• Homework or tutoring
• Ride to or from somewhere
• To participate in an activity/group
• To remedy a situation
• Teach your mentee the appropriate response to
  rejection
• Ask, what do you need help with this week?

6
Connections to Peers

• Peer groups
• If youth hang out with kids making high risk
  choices they are more likely to make high risk
  choices themselves
• Encourage involvement with positive peer groups
  and activities
• Discuss the barriers to being involved
• Access TeamMates staff or school personnel for
  ideas to manage roadblocks
• Practice how to handle difficult situations and
  know how you will answer difficult questions

7
Connections to Peers

• Cyberspace
• Social networking sites like MySpace Facebook
• Cyberbullying or stalking
• Enticement manipulation
• Inappropriate content including sex, violence
• Long term implications of on-line info
• Attend internet trainings held by local law
  enforcement if available.

8
Connections to Help

• Reporting concerns
• Must report suspected abuse
• Follow the procedure established for your program
• If you are worried about behaviors contact
  TeamMates staff or school personnel

9
Connections to Life Skills

• Cover the basics
• Money management
• Basic self-care like laundry, cooking
• Time management, organization
• Study skills
• Hygiene
• Check out the web-site www.thesurvivalseries.com

10
Connection to Employment

• How to get and keep a job
• Applications
• On-line vs. in person
• Interviews
• Appropriate dress, speech, dos and donts
• Practice interview questions
• Being a good employee
• Communicating with supervisor and other employees

11
Connection to College

• Encourage youth to believe they can go to college
• Discuss career interests
• Review 4 year plan for high school
• Explore all types of college/training
• Check out opportunities at
• www.educationquest.org (Nebraska)
• www.icansucceed.org (Iowa)
• Connect with TeamMates staff regarding a
  possible job-shadowing opportunity

12
Summary

• Dont underestimate the power of the little
  things you do or discuss.
• When in doubt ask for help.
• What are you thinking?