When people ask how to become Youth Success Mentors (YSM) with Empower Youth Network (EYN), there are some frequently asked questions that we have become familiar with. In an effort to ease folks into our Back-to-School Challenge so that we meet our goal of enrolling 70 mentors, we will be sharing Mentor Myth Busters with you!
Wondering about the time commitment, effort, or energy it takes to be a mentor? Read testimonials below that share why mentoring is worth it, and why mentoring is probably even more of a possibility for you than you might realize.
Karen:
Mentoring has been an amazing experience for Karen, and she looks forward to collaborating with her mentees each week. Karen tries to schedule her vacations before mentoring begins in the fall or during school vacations. She says, “Of course, there are times when I do have to miss but I do my best to make that minimal.” We completely understand! YSM staff will work with you to create a schedule that works for you.
Pam:
“Since I am retired, it is easy to work [mentoring] into my schedule plus there are lots of options to choose from.” If something comes up, YSM staff make it possible to adjustment your mentoring timeline.
Sandy:
“As far as the barriers to being a mentor, initially I was concerned that I couldn’t take trips with my husband and family. It turns out that works out!” Sandy says staff has been very accommodating if she needs to change days or cannot make it to her mentee because of a trip. “We don’t want to disappoint our mentees, but it works out!”
Sharissa:
“Going back to work as a teacher is what prompted me to want to mentor.” Moving the time commitment from an hour down to 30 minutes weekly greatly helped Sharissa have the time to mentor. When she looked into the mentoring program a few years ago, the time commitment was one hour weekly. While YSM tries to ensure providing a full hour of mentoring as much as possible, there is the possibility of arranging for meetings to be within 30 minutes!
Michael:
Michael initially took pause on becoming a mentor because he was unsure of the time commitment, or what he would do with his mentee. If you did not know, YSM can supply anything from STEM kits to games for mentors to utilize for enriched meetings with their mentees. “I just realized there was a need and I had the time and desire to help,” Michael says. It was that realization that motivated him to apply. Michael says he feels there are no barriers to his mentoring and it fits easily into his life.
Help us get a head start on our Back-to-School Challenge, and apply to become a mentor today!
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