This guide, which is intended as a primer for program coordinators responsible for managing and implementing mentor programs, explains what content should be included in mentoring programs and how that content should be organized to maintain volunteers’ interest in mentoring. Discussed in section 1 are the following topics: job description for mentors; structured forms of mentoring (traditional, group, peer, team, and intergenerational mentoring and telementoring); impact of mentoring; limits of mentoring (time, social distance, isolation); major goals of mentoring; major objectives of mentoring youth; and reasons adolescents with problems need mentors. The agenda and components of a structured mentor training program are outlined in section 2. Section 3 presents an orientation training program for mentors that covers the following: basics of mentoring, role of mentors, mentoring processes, mentoring activities to consider, communication skills for building relationships, mentoring practices, roleplay exercises, and guidelines for handling special relationships. Sections 4-6 contain the following: rationale and description of an ongoing training program; introduction to the importance of specialized training; and considerations and final thoughts about mentor training. The guide contains 38 references and the website addresses of 44 organizations concerned with mentoring and mentor training. (MN)
