This presentation was delivered on Tuesday, June 14, 2011, as part of the free monthly webinar series of Friends for Youth's Mentoring Institute. Research by the Search Institute has uncovered a way to start or strengthen relationships by helping young people find their spark - unleashing their energy and joy and helping them find focus. When young people, supported by one or more caring adults, are able to identify, explore, and develop their spark, research indicates that they are more likely to engage in thriving behaviors and less likely to experience several negative outcomes. Mentors can deepen their relationships with their mentees through a focus on spark. In this webinar, we will present relevant research, view young people talking about their sparks and the ”spark champions” in their lives, and explore resources designed to be used in mentoring relationships. This session was also offered at our 12th Annual Mentoring Conference, Share What You Know, in January 2011 <http: />. Frequent collaborator and Director of Training & Community Partnerships at the Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota, April Riordan will be leading this webinar.

1. Transforming lives through
the power of mentoring

2. Webinar Logistics:
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3. Panelists
April Riordan
Director of Training &
Partnerships
Mentoring Partnership
of Minnesota

4. Slides posted to
SlideShare
Recording of webinar will
be posted to
http://
www.friendsforyouth.org/
Webinars.html
Link and brief survey
included in follow-up email

5. Building Deep and Sustained
Relationships with Young People
5

6. Mentoring Partnership of Minnesota
MPM IS THE DRIVING FORCE
IN THE MENTORING
MOVEMENT IN MINNESOTA.
WE BRING TOGETHER
DIVERSE INDIVIDUALS AND
ORGANIZATIONS AROUND
TWO STRATEGIC GOALS:
• MPM will Increase Quality
Mentoring in Minnesota
• MPM is the Leading Champion of
Quality Mentoring Across
Minnesota 6

7. Boundaries
Support
and
Expectations
Constructive
Empowerment Use of
Time
7

8. Commitment Social Competencies
to Learning
Positive Values Positive Identity
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12.  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

13. 13

14. 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

15.  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
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16. 31%
do not
Say They Do NOT Have a Spark
Say They HAVE a Spark
69% have a Spark
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17. Percentage of teenagers
who understand and seek 100%
spark
Percentage who can
62%
clearly name their spark
Percentage with spark
37%
and spark champions
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18. 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?
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19. 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
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20.  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!
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21.  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)
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22.  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.
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23.  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?”
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24.  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!
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25.  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
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26.  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
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28. Slides posted to
SlideShare
Recording of webinar will
be posted to
http://
www.friendsforyouth.org/
Webinars.html
Link and brief survey
included in follow-up email

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

30. www.mentoringinstitute.org
650-559-0200