The role of a mentor is to be supportive and offer guidance, support, and encouragement to help the young person’s positive and healthy development. – The Mentoring Effect: Young People’s Perspectives on the Outcomes and Availability of Mentoring, Civic Enterprises, 2013
One of the most impactful ways mentors can influence mentees is by modeling positive behaviors that help them learn to respect themselves and others, leading to stronger relationships with family and peers and productive conflict resolution skills. Mentoring USA’s respect initiative includes Bias-Related Anti-Violence Education™ (BRAVE™), a 3-hour training for our positive adult mentors, teaching them to support mentees to value diversity and to live without hate and bullying; and The Respect Institute’s Respect360 program, in which mentees, with support from their mentors, explore redefining respect, understanding the role intolerance and cliques play in bullying, setting boundaries and being compassionate, getting help and having courage, and setting goals and building leadership.
Diversity Appreciation: BRAVE™
At Mentoring USA, we believe that embracing differences and celebrating the richness of diversity is a key step in breaking down the barriers of hate, prejudice, and violence. The BRAVE (Bias Related Anti-Violence Education) Training Program for mentors helps assure that our mentees have a caring, competent adult role model to help them develop into respectful and compassionate citizens
Mentors participate in an intensive, interactive cultural diversity training session to learn how to guide children toward tolerance and compassion to break down the barriers of prejudice. Mentors participate in role-playing exercises to better prepare mentors for “tough moments” and to guide them towards the courage of compassion.
BRAVE Juliana (Bias Related Anti-Violence Education)
At Mentoring USA, we know that awareness and appreciation for one’s own culture and respect for other backgrounds, cultures, and experiences will set a young person up for long-term success, both personally and professionally.
Through the use of cultural and culinary activities, Mentors and mentees learn more about each other’s backgrounds and how where they come from and where they live effects their life today.
Named in honor of Juliana McCourt, a 4 year old girl whose life was tragically lost with her mother Ruth on United Airlines Flight 175 on September 11, 2001, the program helps mentees to foster greater awareness of cultural, religious, and socio-economic differences in a global community, to reaffirm a child’s appreciation of their own heritage—and empower them to see themselves as individuals who can make a positive impact in their own community. BRAVE Juliana also empowers children with the tools to resist bullying and divisive prejudices.
In partnership with The Respect Institute and the use of The Respect Basics, Mentoring USA is helping mentors teach mentees how to redefine respect, break cycles of disrespect, achieve positive goals and thrive. Mentors and mentees use a combination of interactive and journal activities that are Common Core Standard aligned for grades 6-12.
Of the youth who participated in Respect 360:
- 90% redefine RESPECT as “I matter. You matter.
- 86% said they had the tools to deal with bullying, cliques or abuse and felt safe speaking about disrespect that affected them.
- 88% agreed that The Respect Basics had given them new, better ways to practice respect for themselves
- 82% felt equipped to make positive choices and act as role models (up from 42%).
- 81% said they would get help when disrespected (up from 42%)
Our mentors volunteer in several categories, including General Mentoring, Foster Care, LGBT Youth, and Workplace Mentoring. Read on to learn about our programs: