For over 25 years, Breakaway Outreach has been enriching the lives of young people through a myriad of mentoring relationship contexts (churches, schools, neighborhoods, recovery programs, juvenile detention centers, youth chaplaincy services, sports coaching, re-entry and aftercare ministries, orphan and foster care, domestic violence outreach, and much more).

In this handbook you will find a treasure trove of wisdom gleaned from the experiences of hundreds of our volunteers over the past two and a half decades.

Mentoring Chapters

1. Introduction: Mentoring Matters
2. The Role of a Mentor
3. Biblical Examples of Mentoring
4. Mistakes and Pitfalls to Avoid
5. Getting the Mentoring Relationship Off to a Good Start
6. Sample Match Icebreaker: Getting to Know Each Other
7. Give the Young Person a Voice and Choice
8. 100 Activity Ideas for Mentors and Mentees
9. 30 Conversation Starters for Mentors and Mentees
10. Faith-Based Mentoring (for Discipleship)
11. 100 “Make-a-Difference” Quotes(to keep you motivated!)

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Research consistently reveals the long-term positive effects of mentoring.

• Increased high school graduation rates
• Lower high school dropout rates
• Healthier relationships and lifestyle choices
• Better attitude about school
• Higher college enrollment rates and higher educational aspirations
• Enhanced self-esteem and self-confidence
• Improved behavior, both at home and at school
• Stronger relationships with parents, teachers, and peers
• Improved interpersonal skills
• Decreased likelihood of initiating drug and alcohol use

(MENTOR, 2009; Cavell, DuBois, Karcher, Keller, and Rhodes, 2009)

Mentoring has also been linked in studies to social-emotional development benefits, improvements in youth perceptions of parental relationships, and better prospects for moving on to higher education. Mentoring can help youth as they go through challenging life transitions, including dealing with stressful changes at home or transitioning to adulthood. Close, healthy, supportive relationships between mentors and mentees that last for a significant portion of time (i.e., more than one year) are central to success. Without this, mentoring programs run the risk of harming young people who are paired with mentors ill-equipped to meet the mentees’ needs. Specifically, relationships with mentors that last less than three months; where there is irregular and inconsistent contact; where there is a disconnect between the personalities, interests, and expectations of the mentors and mentees; where mentors are unprepared and lack skills to relate to youth; and where there is no emotional bond between the mentor and mentee have been found to be harmful to youth (Jekielek et al., 2002; Rhodes & DuBois, 2006). “The Mentor Toolbox” can help you, or your volunteers, become more equipped to go the distance in your mentoring efforts.

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