HOW TO BEGIN
STEP 1 - Research and Identify
Research and Identify Type of Mentoring Program Your Agency Seeks to Implement
School Based Mentoring Program
School-based mentoring programs involve weekly one-on-one meetings between a mentor and his/her mentee, at the mentee’s school. Mentors and mentees engage in a range of academic and/or nonacademic activities, depending on the program’s objectives. Other students see having a mentor come to the school as an “enviable perk” shedding positive light onto the mentee and bolstering his/her social standing.
National Examples:
Community Based Mentoring Program
Community-based mentoring programs involve weekly one-on-one meetings that take place outside of any specific site; the mentor and their mentee decide when and where they will meet and in what activities they will engage. Community based matches usually meet for one to three hours per week and offers young people the chance to develop a relationship with an adult, other than their parents or teachers. Community based matches can include tutoring, career exploration, life skills development, entertainment, and cultural or social experiences.
National Examples:
Site Based Mentoring Program
Site-based mentoring programs involve weekly one-on-one meetings that take place at a specific site. Mentors and mentees meet at the program site and agency or program staff create and supervise activities. Many of our existing NCMI/CMC mentoring programs are site based.
Faith Based Mentoring Program
Please see Mentoring Resources and click on one of the following faith based mentoring resources
National Examples:
- Life Coaches for Kids
- Christian Association for Youth Mentoring
- Faith-based Mentoring and More
Family Centered Mentoring Program
Nazarene CMC Example:
- Lower Lights Ministries
Attachment Communities Mentoring Program
Nazarene CMC Example:
E-Mentoring
National Examples:
- YouthFriends e-Mentoring™
- Be A Mentor: email mentors are employees of sponsoring firms and organizations. Sponsoring firms and organizations promote mentoring among their employees, allow a specified amount of time for the employee to communicate via email with the student and they will communicate 30 minutes to 1 hour/week.
Group Mentoring
Several of our partners also provide group mentoring in which 8 to 12 youth are matched with one mentor and they meet together as a group and one-to-one with mentor as necessary.
Partner Examples:
STEP 2 - Review the Links
Review the links and documents in:
- Mentoring Training Resources
STEP 3 - Partner for Assistance
Partner with NCMI Mentoring Initiative for Assistance
The seven steps outlined in How to Begin provides the organization with the resources and tools to explore the organization's mentoring vision and to help lay the foundation to implement a best-practices mentoring program. In Step 1 and Step 2 you had an opportunity to review the various mentoring programs and mentoring resources that are available via the world wide web. In Steps 3 - 7, NCMI provides the process and system to assist organizations with their vision to implement a best practices mentoring program for at-risk children, youth and families. It is NCMI's vision to make these resources and tools available to our Compassionate Ministries Centers and to assist with technical support and training as funding allows. Follow the remaining steps to get started.
- Contact Sherrie Vaughn, NCMI Mentoring Coordinator
- Submit a Partnership Request/Proposal to Sherrie Vaughn, NCMI Mentoring Coordinator
- Complete and Submit the NCMI Mentoring Initiative Selection Criteria Checklist to NCMI Mentoring Coordinator
- NOTE: Contact Sherrie Vaughn to receive an Excel version of the Criteria Checkist as this checklist is a scoring instrument to assess the agency and program capacity for developing and implementing a best-practices mentoring program
- Complete the APEX and submit on line
- Complete the Nazarene Safe training videos and worksheets and submit documentation of completion to Sherrie Vaughn
- Schedule a Desk Review with Sherrie Vaughn, NCMI Mentoring Coordinator
STEP 4 - Prepare and Complete a Desk Review
To effectively prepare the agency for the Mentoring Desk Review, NCMI recommends the following suggestions and considerations:
Assess and Review the agency’s Strategic Plan, Vision and Mission to determine appropriateness and alignment with implementation of a mentoring program
Facilitate an Asset Mapping Exercise to fully assess and review the potential of:
o Need and Target Population for Mentees and Families
o Mentor and Mentee Recruitment Strategies
o Viable Funding Streams
o Stakeholder Support Systems
o In-Kind Services
o Collaborations with other agencies and community programs
o Wrap Around Services and Community Resources
Begin developing the following plans through the Asset Mapping Exercise
o Stakeholder Recruitment Plan
o Mentor Recruitment and Retention Plan
o Financial Sustainability Plan
How to Develop a Plan for Financial Sustainability
Planning for Financial Sustainability
Begin creating a Mentoring Program Business/Ministry Plan (*Mentoring Project Work Plan), incorporating the Stakeholder Plan, Mentor Recruitment and Retention Plan and the Financial Sustainability Plan and have on file or as an attachment to the agency’s Strategic Plan (Guide to Strategic Planning)
- NCMI will conduct a Capacity and Infrastructure Assessment and Provide Recommendations
*NOTE
- NCMI recommends that the agency complete the Mentoring Project Work Plan following the Capacity and Infrastructure Assessment site-visit
- Email Sherrie Vaughn to receive an Excel version of the Mentoring Project Work Plan and Budget Detail (with formulas)
- Additional Budget Documents and Guidelines: Line Item Definitions, Program Budget Detail and Narrative Example
STEP 5 - Policies and Procedures
Develop and Implement Mentoring Program Policies and Procedures
Guide/Example for Policies and Procedures and Standards
- Guide Table of Contents for Mentoring P&P
- Guide Standard One P&P – Definition of Youth Mentoring
- Guide Standard Two P&P – Recruitment Plan for Youth Mentoring
- Guide Standards Three P&P – Eligibility Screening
- Guide Standard Four P&P – Orientation and Training
- Guide Standard Five P&P – Match Strategy
- Guide Standard Six P&P – Match Monitoring
- Guide Standard Seven P&P – Mentoring Support
- Guide Standard Eight P&P – Match Closure
- Guide Standard Nine P&P – Program Evaluation
- Guide Standard Ten P&P – Organizational Management
- Guide Standard Eleven P&P – Governance
Nazarene Safe: Guidelines Booklet
Review the following sections from the Nazarene Safe Guidelines Booklet and incorporate into the organization's Mentoring Policies and Procedures and the Employee/Volunteer Handbook
- Mentoring Standards 4 and 10: Understanding Sexual Misconduct and A Systematic Approach, pgs. 6-10
- Mentoring Standards 4 and 10: I Awareness Training, pg 13
- Mentoring Standards 3 and 10: II Staff and Volunteer Screening, pg. 14
- Mentoring Standards 3, 4 and 10: III Policies, Procedures and Practices for Working w/Minors, pgs. 14-15
- Mentoring Standards 6 and 9: IV Accountability: M&E, pgs 16-17
- Mentoring Standards 6, 9 and 10: V Reporting and Responding, pgs. 17-19
Example Policies and Procedures of CMC Partners
STEP 6 - Forms and Documentations
Develop and Implement Mentoring Program Forms and Documentations
FORMS AND DOCUMENTS
Standard One
Overview of Mentor Standards and Documentation
Standard Two
Asset Mapping; Recruitment Plan Template; Mentor Orientation and Training Log; Mentor Application Checklist; Mentor Evaluation Checklist; Mentee Application and Orientation Checklist; Mentee Agreement; Match Agreement & Contract; Mentor Position Description; Mentee Position Description; M&E Plan (See STEP 7 - Monitoring and Evaluation Plan)
Standard Three
Mentee Application and Orientation Checklist; Mentee Agreement; Mentor Application Checklist; Mentor Interview Guide; Mentor Orientation & Training Log; Notice to Mentors Regarding Background Checks; Match Agreement and Contract; Reference Interview Guide; Mentor Evaluation Checklist; Mentor and Mentee Eligibilty Criteria Checklist; Mentor and Mentee Eligibilty Criteria Checklist; Nazarene Safe: Ministry Application
Standard Four
Mentee Application and Orientation Checklist; Mentee Orientation Outline; Mentor Application Checklist; Mentor Training Log; Mentor Orientation Outline; Mentor Evaluation Checklist; Annual Training Calendar; Training Outlines; Contact Log; Training Evaluation Template; Nazarene Safe: Ministry Application
Standard Five
Mentee Agreement; Match Agreement and Contract; Match Worksheet; Mentee Interest Survey; Mentee-Match Wait list
Standard Six
Contact Log; Match Activity Sign-in; Mentee or Student Medical Release-Work Form; Mentee Application; Mentee Application 2
Standard Seven
Annual Event Calendar; Annual Training Calendar; Mentor Orientation and Training Outlines; Mentee Orientation Outline
Standard Eight
Mentee Exit Survey; Mentor Exit Survey; Parent/Guardian Exit Survey; Match Closure Notification Letter; Mentee Orientation Outline; Training Outline; Personal Growth Plan; Personal Growth Plan - 2; Personal Growth Plan - 3; Match Closure Summary
Standard Nine
M&E Plan (See STEP 7 - Monitoring and Evaluation Plan)
Standard Ten
Nazarene Safe Guidelines Booklet; Mentor Staff Job Descriptions; Mentor Position Description; Timesheet Form; Mileage Reimbusement Form; MOU Template 1; MOU Template 2
Standard Eleven
Risk Management Process Template; Risk Management Resources
STEP 7 - Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
Develop and Implement a Monitoring and Evaluation Plan
- M&E Plan Template
- Framework and Logic Model Template
- M&E Training Resource
• How To Build an Effective M&E Plan
• Writing Indicator Definitions (Mentors)
• Writing Indicator Definitions (Mentees)
• Data Collection Tools and Instructions
• Data Flow and Use Spreadsheet
• Data Quality and Data Management
- M&E Plan Development (templates)
• Creating Model Parameters
• Indicator Definitions
• Data Tools and Instructions
• Data Use and Flow
• Data Management System and Data Quality Assessment
• Outcomes Assessment and Evaluation
- Social Solutions: Efforts to Outcomes client management database
- Nazarene Safe Guidelines Booklet, Accountability: Monitoring and Evaluating, pgs 16-17
- Nazarene Safe: Monitoring and Oversight (Video 7), Worksheet and Answer Sheet
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