Mentoring is one of the most effective ways to guide young people toward lifelong happiness and success. And by adopting a one-to-one approach, mentoring can be an even more effective method for guidance, training, and education.

Mentoring can be provided for groups as well as individuals. Each approach has its advantages, but one-to-one mentoring is usually more advantageous for the mentee’s personal growth and career development.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest, we focus on connecting youth in our community to role models who will help them become the best version of themselves.

How one-to-one mentoring programs work 

Mentoring programs consist of a mentor responsible for providing guidance and training and mentees who receive instruction from the mentor. In one-to-one mentoring programs, there is only one mentor and one mentee.

The mentor and mentee are usually brought together by the organization sponsoring the mentorship program. In some cases, they may come together of their own volition. They may participate in the program according to a specific structure and timeframe or follow a model that they both agree on.

In the traditional mentorship program model, a program manager is assigned to monitor the mentee’s progress over a specific period. These programs could last several weeks or several months.

At Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest, our one-to-one mentoring programs last a minimum of 18 months, and in some cases, last until the Little ages out of the program.

Advantages of one-to-one mentoring 

One-to-one mentoring is usually preferred when the mentor wishes to have a more in-depth relationship with the mentee. By dealing with only one mentee at a time, mentors gain a more thorough and accurate insight into the person they are mentoring and become more familiar with their skills, knowledge, and background.

One-to-one mentoring also gives mentors a better idea of the mentee’s abilities and emotional competencies. As a result, it becomes much easier to develop strategies for identifying areas of weakness and transforming them into strengths.

One other significant benefit of the one-to-one approach to mentoring is that it is a familiar model for most people. Therefore, both the mentor and mentee are more likely to be comfortable with the arrangement.

Become a One-To-One Youth Mentor With Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest

Are you located in the Spokane area and want to change a child’s life? Consider volunteering as a youth mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Inland Northwest. Please check out our list of qualifications at https://nwbigs.org/index.php/be-a-big/