This seminar, usually lasting a minimum of three hours, will provide institutional leaders with the essential components needed for a comprehensive mentor-training program for their volunteers. The seminar includes a basic outline and materials used in orientation sessions, initial skill building for volunteers, and guidance for ongoing or specialized training workshops for mentors to work with youth. Techniques, tools, and tips assembled from a decade of training volunteers to be effective mentors will be shared.
Training volunteers to be effective mentors is an essential component in a successful mentor program. This critical task is often overlooked by program managers, causing many programs to fail because mentors leave before assignments are completed. Also, mentees are disillusioned many times because of disappointments in their relationships with the mentor. This seminar will prepare volunteers to be a successful mentor.
This seminar will provide the content materials needed by a program manager for the design and delivery of a comprehensive training program for beginning mentors. The objectives for this seminar are:
- To provide a basic description of a mentor program including roles and activities appropriate for building positive mentor-mentee relationships;
- To provide materials useful to mentors to guide their attitudes and behaviors; and
- To demonstrate selected successful training tools and techniques.
The seminar format, depending on time available, will include self-assessments, information sharing, group discussions, handout materials, visual displays, role-play exercises, and a question and answer period.
To schedule a seminar, contact John Gailer at the National Dropout Prevention Center Network: 864-656-2675, or via email to jgailer@clemson.edu.