August 17, 2015
Mentoring Youth
Community Outreach and mentoring organizations may play a
substantial role in the overall success, or lack thereof, of youth in Metro
Detroit.
Mentoring benefits youth’s emotional and psychological well-being,
peer relationships, academic attitudes, and grades, according to the 2013 study
“The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying
Risk Profiles.” I WOULD HAVE PREFERED
THAT YOU SPOKE WITH THE STUDY’S AUTHOR INSTEAD OF JUST CITING THE STUDY
PLUS, HOW MUCH OF AN
EFFECT DOES IT HAVE? LET’S SHOW THE NUMBERS FROM THIS STUDY THAT PROVE IT
Some mentors and
youth participants agree that these organizations are a successful way to
impact and change the lives of younger people for the better.
Students who meet regularly with their mentors are 52
percent less likely than their peers to skip a day of school and 37 percent
less likely to skip a class COMMA HERE
according to a study conducted by the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. GOOD DATA
“When young people are given someone who cares about them
and who they’re fond of, they want to do the right thing and make them proud,”
said Keneesha Mclaughlin.
McLaughlin is a recent Michigan State University graduate
with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. She now works as a peer
counselor at a home for troubled youth.
“Having a mentor or somebody to look up to really helps,”
said Keneesha McLaughlin. JUST
MCLAUGHLIN ON SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT ATTRIBUTIONS, PER AP STYLE “Especially
when you don’t really have anybody at home who genuinely cares.”
According to McLaughlin, the youth home provides the
residents with volunteer mentors and she really sees a big difference in their
behavior thereafter.
“I believe that they look at their mentors as kind of a safe
haven,” said McLaughlin. “The mentors will do something as simple as playing
sports with them or bringing breakfast like they promised and the kids are
usually so surprised like they’ve never had anyone keep promises or spend time
with them.”
Latasha Becker, a clinical social worker and therapist for
youth in Detroit agrees. “You get the occasional troubled child who comes from
a good home with attentive parents,” said Becker. “But I’ve found that one of
the biggest problems with disturbed children is that they come from a broken or
inattentive home.” GOOD NEUTRAL EXPERT
According to Becker, the reason that mentoring organizations
probably work so well is because they provide children with the attention that
they’re sometimes desperate to receive.
Kadriana Stokes, a 12-year-old formal mentee at One Million
Girls Empowerment Organization is a child with a troubled family life who was
positively affected by her mentoring relationship with Anne Riley.
“Anne Riley took care of me when they took my mom away (to
jail),” said Stokes. “She did a lot of stuff for me like taking me swimming and
helping me with my homework.”
Being in the organization also gave Kadriana STOKES, STED KADRIANA. USE LAST NAME ONLY
ON SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT REFERNCES, PER AP STYLE the opportunity to make
friends and learn social skills, according to her.
“We used to play games. We used to do math, social studies,
and science,” said Kadriana. STOKES,
STED KADRIANA. USE LAST NAME ONLY ON SECOND AND SUBSEQUENT REFERNCES, PER AP
STYLE
Micah Griffin, a youth leader and member of the Doors of
Success Foundation COMMA HERE believes
that youth need somebody to push them to succeed and she stands to serve as
that person for many people her own age.
“I’m only a college student myself, but I act as a mentor to
many people,” said Griffin. “I invite teenagers into the church all the time
and give them spiritual as well as academic advice and make myself readily
available for anything they’ll need help with.”
After seeing how so many youth were misguided and didn’t
have anyone to turn to for emotional as well as physical things Griffin says
her mother started the Doors of Success Foundation.
“We wanted to mentor and guide youth, as well as providing
them with job opportunities, hygiene products, and an array of other services,”
said Griffin.
According to Griffin, it’s more than just an emotional need.
“When you look good you feel good,” said Griffin. “That’s
why we provide new shoes and back to school clothes to as many kids as we can
reach.”
Becker believes that this is an effective approach.
“Self-confidence is an important factor in the success of
anyone,” said Becker.
According to Becker, having new clothes and shoes that are
as decent as their peers is likely very influential in getting children to
attend school.
“Children can be cruel,” said Becker. “So if they aren’t
getting teased about the clothes that they have on then that eliminates an
insecurity and a reason why they wouldn’t show up.”
Word count: 720
Keneesha McLaughlin, MSU graduate and peer counselor
mclau146@msu.edu
313-920-5116
Kadriana Stokes, former One Million Girls mentee
Micah Griffin, mentor at Doors of Success Foundation and
youth leader
313-587-5562
Latasha Becker, clinical social worker and therapist
Personal Best Therapy & Consulting
17800 Woodward Ave
Suite LL1
Detroit, Michigan 48203
(313) 486-5869
ASSIGNMENT GRADE:(REDACTED)
INSTRUCTOR COMMENTS:
NICE OVERALL WORK. YOU’RE PEAKING AT THE RIGHT TIME, WHICH IS WHAT WE WANT.
No comments:
Post a Comment