What Is a Mentor?

This module defines a mentor as an adult who, along with parents, caregivers, and other adults, provides guidance, support, companionship, and advocacy to a young person. This module describes the fundamentals of mentoring at-risk youth and the five critical elements of the mentor’s role: build trust, listen, encourage, be reliable, and enjoy your time together. By the end of this module, you will be able to:

• Define what it means to be a mentor
• Identify the key components of the mentoring pyramid and their implications for the mentoring relationship

This training module is designed to complement the in-person mentor training that your mentoring program provides.  We strongly encourage you to work closely with your mentoring program coordinator to understand your mentee’s experiences and to contact program staff whenever you have questions or concerns about the mentoring relationship.