Mentoring and Its Benefits Can be Natural or Structured

SPS: Children, Adolescents and Young Adults

Mentoring is an excellent way to support a child or youth both today and long term. It can foster hope, celebrate strengths, build skills, and inspire confidence, says Crystal Aschenbrener, DSW, MSW, APSW. 

“This can positively shape a child or youth personally, academically, and even professionally,” she said in one of the latest Section Connection newsletters for the SPS on Children, Adolescents and Young Adults. “Over the years, youth mentoring has gone from ‘just hanging out’ and ‘having fun’ together to being a preventive intervention that provides more services and supports, has more benefits, and can document successful outcomes.” 

Mentors can be natural or structured, meaning that a “natural” mentor can be a supportive neighbor, a wise elder from the tribal community, and/or a kind parent of a fellow classmate, Aschenbrener said. Then, a “structure” mentor can be from an organization such as Big Brothers Big Sisters or similar organizations. 

From 10 years of experience serving as the leader of a youth mentoring intervention partnership, she said she has found that the youth mentees and the college student mentors gained equally. 

“The youth mentees were inspired to continue with their high school education and hope for their dreams to come true, whereas the college student mentors learned more about the wonderful culture and spirituality of the Native American people,” she stated.