Reflections on Research

In this episode, we talk about a major new group mentoring study with Dr. Gabe Kuperminc, including the impacts of group mentoring on middle school students, the importance of managing group dynamics in in these programs, and strategies for improving the individual and collective outcomes of school-based group mentoring programs.

Two leading scholars in the mentoring field join us to discuss their new Study to Analyze Relationships (STAR), which offers great insights into the interpersonal dynamics of mentoring matches, gaps in match closure procedures, and the practices that may prevent early match termination. We end with a great discussion about the gap between the expectations and reality of the experience of mentoring a child.

Drs. Jennifer Blakeslee and Tom Keller of Portland State University join the podcast to discuss their findings from their follow-up study with mentees from the My Life program, which serves youth aging out of foster care with a self-determination approach to their entry into young adulthood.

Nancy joins us to break down several studies of the Young Women Leaders Program, an innovative blend of group and one-on-one mentoring, including recent findings that indicate lasting impacts for girls on key outcomes. Recorded as part of our work on the National Mentoring Resource Center for OJJDP.

We discuss key findings from his team’s study of mentoring services for youth on parole and probation in Ohio and learn about how the youth mentoring field aligns, and sometimes doesn’t, with the broader research on what prevents criminality and recidivism. Recorded as part of our work on the National Mentoring Resource Center for OJJDP.

Interview with David DuBois and Carla Herrera about their recent long-term follow-up with youth who were mentored in the 1990s to see how they are now doing as adults. Great information about the long-term value of mentoring in the formative years. Recorded as part of our work on the National Mentoring Resource Center for OJJDP.