6.2 Assisting Mentors Who Haven’t Worked with Youth or Served in a Leadership Capacity
At times, a potential mentor may be intimidated or unsure about the “right” approach to working with teens. In these situations, a few different approaches may help.
- Be the facilitator in expert-led programming to help increase the mentor’s level of comfort1
- For interns or youth as mentors, allow them to practice and ask questions about how to lead and coach2
- Provide support in the mentor’s planning activities, workshops, or events. For example, allow the mentor to build the content or curriculum and then offer suggestions for making it work with a teen audience. For example, you could let them know when they should add breaks into the schedule1
1: Personal interview with Shannon Lake, April 7, 2017.
2: Make Do Share, Kitsap Regional Library.
