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Be a mentor or mentee

A girl and a mentor.A mentor is someone who acts as a guide and gives help and support. A mentee is the person being mentored. What can a mentor do? He or she can be a friend, role model, tutor, or all these at once!

Some mentors meet with you in school, and some meet with you outside of school.

Here are some ways a mentor might help:

  • Going over your schoolwork
  • Listening to problems and offering suggestions
  • Providing emotional support
  • Giving you a chance to try new things and have new experiences
  • Talking about ideas for your future
  • Discussing possible goals and ways to work toward them
  • Practicing new skills
  • Arranging for you to visit a workplace that interests you
  • Taking you places you might not be able to go otherwise

Want to find a mentor? Ask your parents or guardians, teacher, or school counselor for help. Big Brothers/Big Sisters and Mentor are two ways to find mentors.

You can be a mentor. As a mentor, you get to practice your own skills. Plus, you have the pleasure of helping someone else succeed. One way to be a mentor is through mentorup.org, which arranges for kids to help adults. Another option is Girl Talk, which helps high school girls teach middle school girls what they know.

Sometimes, a person can be a mentor in a more informal way. You don't need a special group to get you a mentor. Teachers can be great mentors. See if you can meet with them after class, or offer to help out. You also can read about building relationships with teachers. You can be a mentor to younger girls by offering to help with school and other issues and by showing them that you treat others with kindness and respect.

 

Content last reviewed September 16, 2015
Page last updated November 09, 2015

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