Helping Young People Find Their SPARK

Transforming lives through the power of mentoring

Webinar Logistics: Adding Comments•  All attendees muted for best sound•  Type questions and comments in the question box; responses will either be direct to you or shared with all attendees•  “Raise your hand” to be unmuted at end to ask question live during webinar •  Works best for telephone or headset-to-computer connections •  Please monitor background noise

Panelists April Riordan Director of Training & Partnerships Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota

Slides posted toSlideShareRecording of webinar willbe posted tohttp://www.friendsforyouth.org/Webinars.htmlLink and brief surveyincluded in follow-up email

Building Deep and SustainedRelationships with Young People 5

Mentoring Partnership of MinnesotaMPM IS THE DRIVING FORCEIN THE MENTORINGMOVEMENT IN MINNESOTA.WE BRING TOGETHERDIVERSE INDIVIDUALS ANDORGANIZATIONS AROUNDTWO STRATEGIC GOALS:• MPM will Increase QualityMentoring in Minnesota• MPM is the Leading Champion ofQuality Mentoring AcrossMinnesota 6

BoundariesSupport and Expectations ConstructiveEmpowerment Use of Time 7

Commitment Social Competenciesto Learning Positive Values Positive Identity 8

  Gallup Poll of 2,000 12 to 17-year-olds and 2,000 of their parents  Online Poll conducted by Louis Harris polling firm with 1,000 11 to 17-year-olds  Interviews with 405 teens, ages 15-17  Continued assessment in individual communities 12

More likely to: Less likely to:  Have a sense of   Experience purpose depression  Be socially competent   Engage in acts of & physically healthy violence toward  Volunteer to help others others  Have higher grades & better attendance 14

  Athletics  Creative arts  Nature, ecology, the environment  Learning a subject matter like science or history  Helping, serving, volunteering  Leading  Spirituality or religion  Reading  Committed to living in a specific way (with joy, passion, caring, etc.)  Animal welfare 15

31% do not Say They Do NOT Have a Spark Say They HAVE a Spark69% have a Spark 16

Percentage of teenagerswho understand and seek 100% spark Percentage who can 62% clearly name their spark Percentage with spark 37% and spark champions 17

1.  What is your spark?2.  When and where do you show your spark?3.  Who knows your spark?4.  Who helps support your spark?5.  What gets in your way?6.  How can I help?7.  How can you use your spark to make our world better? 18

Build longer, stronger relationships •  Focus on what is strong not what is wrong •  Pay attention to what mentees would like for themselves – not just what we think they need •  Teach and model skills to help young people carry their baggage better 19

  My mentee’s spark is singing. She is 15 and her only career goal right now is to become a famous singer… However, she can’t carry a tune at all! 20

  Affirm the spark  Encourage its expression  Model the spark  Provide opportunities to express it  Run interference and help eliminate obstacles  Teach or mentor  Show up (at recitals, games, performances, play, reading, contests) 21

  I’m having a hard time connecting with my mentee. We don’t seem to have anything to talk about and he doesn’t share any ideas with me about things he would like to do when we are together. 22

  Watch for signs of sparks - “You really seem to enjoy…”  Share your own sparks - “When I was your age, I was passionate about…”  Ask open-ended questions, and then listen “What do you think your spark is?” 23

  I love running and was so excited to share my spark with my mentee. But when we get together to go jogging, she complains and says she hates running. How can I help her? I really want her to feel what I feel while running! 24

  Sparks can change over time  Young people need multiple champions; some to cheer, some to teach  Expect “ups and downs” in the conversations  A skill is not automatically a spark  Our spark may not be our work 25

  Sparks: How Parents Can Ignite the Hidden Strengths of Teenagers by Peter L Benson  www.IgniteSparks.org Download more resources  www.at15.com Youth-oriented resources based on Search Institute’s work  www.search-institute.org Search Institute’s web site and on-line catalog  www.parentfurther.com Tons of useful resources for parents 26

Slides posted toSlideShareRecording of webinar willbe posted tohttp://www.friendsforyouth.org/Webinars.htmlLink and brief surveyincluded in follow-up email

•  Tuesday, July 26 Coming Together Across Cultures: Intentional Relationship Building with Sarah Kremer

www.mentoringinstitute.org 650-559-0200

Helping Young People Find Their SPARK

by Friends for Youth, Inc.

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