The Mentoring Movement

I met Zintia for the first time at Dairy Queen. She was 12 and we had been matched by the Kinship of Minneapolis mentoring organization. Over the next six years, we explored the Twin Cities: watching plays at Children’s Theater, bowling, swimming, eating burgers at the Gold Nugget. We talked about hopes and dreams, navigated school conferences, made pumpkin pie, and ate dinners together at my house with my family. We still keep in touch even though she is now a capable, young woman.

As a mentor, it’s not all about giving back – there’s plenty of “what’s in it for me” for the mentor too!

·       Develop leadership experience – guiding a young person requires communication skills and planning skills which are transferable to the workplace.

·       Learn from new perspectives – kids are amazingly honest and can teach adults things too if we are open to listening. Enjoy learning about a new culture, a new band, the latest trends on social media and more.

·       Enhance the relationship with your own children by demonstrating caring and compassion.

·       Have fun – a mentee gives you permission to try silly new things or go places you wouldn’t normally go alone (for me, this was roller skating…).

1 in 3 young people are growing up without a mentor, someone outside of their family who they can turn to for support and guidance. Through the Mentoring Connector, you can search for a variety of programs in your community. Learn how you can help close the mentoring gap at: mentoring.org.