What is Mentoring

There are four areas of mentoring:


	1.	Community based-programs that meet at various sites within the community such as the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubs Programs, or Big Brothers Big Sisters are examples of community based programs.
	2.	Faith-based - mentoring with a specific spiritual emphasis (Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, etc.).
	3.	School-based - mentoring with emphasis on academic achievement.
	4.	Work-based - mentoring with emphasis on learning basic workplace skills and postgraduate aspirations (college/career goals).

One-to-One

This is the traditional model of mentoring where one adult is paired with one young person. There typically will be an extensive matching process to insure a strong relationship, and it is expected that the commitment will be for one year or longer. Big Brothers/Big Sisters is an example of a One-to-One mentoring program.

Team Mentoring

This form of mentoring matches a group of adults with a group of youth in a structured setting. Examples might include a family or group of adult volunteers working with youth in a church program; or a group of employees from a specific dept. working with students from a local school in a work based mentoring program).

Group Mentoring

One or two adult volunteers build a relationship with a group of youth through regular meetings. Girl Scouts and Boys Scouts are good examples of this type of mentoring.