Last weeks blog discussed how Youth Odyssey’s mentor program was created in 2008 and how we use the program to foster and build up our amazing mentors. Becoming a mentor-in-training and then a mentor are exciting steps in Youth Odyssey because we are allowing our mentors to take on more responsibility and grow into new positions. Youth Odyssey and our mentors accomplish these things by getting involved at our school programs, ropes courses and on camping trips.
Working together at South Park M.S.
All of our mentors started out in one of our Adventure Challenge Programs and, because we saw their growth and potential, we discussed and awarded them the title of a mentor-in-training (the step before becoming a full mentor). As we continue with their programs, they still participate in all activities and group discussions. The main difference is, once the title is given, we start focusing on leaderships skills, communication skills and group control. Here, they are learning how to lead by example and motivate their peers (which can be tricky at times). We also have some of our older mentors attend our afterschool programs in order to help out by setting an example so the other kids see how becoming a mentor can be an extremely fun and a rewarding experience. If our mentors want to run a game or two we let them; and it all comes full circle. It’s definitely one of those “proud parent moments” where you think “my baby is all grown up and leading games…” In essence that is what we want to happen, as does any parent. To raise and help a child to become self-sufficient and successful independent of Youth Odyssey.
- Awesome youth mentor working on knots
Another perk with being a mentor-in-training and a mentor in Youth Odyssey is that they are allowed (if we have room) to attend ANY ropes course day and ANY camping trip we may have scheduled. If they choose to come out for a ropes course we start training them in how to do some of the more technical things, like learning how to set up the ropes for a program. One of the favorite things our mentors like is being able to go “up top” (top of the rock tower, 35ft in the air) with a facilitator to see how we set the ropes and pulleys up. They learn the proper set up for the elements, including what the different parts are called and why we set it up the way we do. As certified ropes course practitioners, our facilitators are able to give in-depth safety reasons as to why we do what we do, while setting up elements and taking them down. This hands-on experiences helps reinforce the learning process with the mentors. It takes a few trips to the ropes course before our youth mentors have a complete grasp on how we run the ropes courses. Then we build on that knowledge every time they come up; this helps with engagement. There are many roles the youth mentors can take on at our ropes course:
- They can help facilitate the low elements
- Take participants off of the ladder
- Belay participants
- Help encourage participants to complete the elements
- Hook them to the zip-line
- Set up elements (high and low)
By giving them these responsibilities we are able to see exponential growth in our mentors. Their maturity increases while on the ropes course. We are able to witness shy mentors step-up and become the main encouragement for participants, and the experience and knowledge that our mentors gain from helping us, in turn, can help them in their future college and employment opportunities.
If a mentor chooses to attend a camping trip their role is a little different than that on the ropes course. On camping trips the mentors role is to step up and act as an extension of Youth Odyssey’s facilitators. At this point in time our mentors would have attended many Youth Odyssey camping trips in the past and have the knowledge of how a normal camping trip should play out. We give them tasks like:
- Facilitating instructions for preparing meals
- Organizing the selection of leader/navigator for our day hikes
- Assist the kids when needed
- Help keep everyone on task
All of the facilitators wait for the moment when a mentor takes initiative in doing a task because they know it needs to get done (even though they had not yet been instructed to do so). Having a mentor take initiative in any situation is always a welcome experience because it expresses to us the level of understanding and leadership that we have been working to achieve with them. Throughout camping trips there are numerous times where our youth mentors can help us, outside of completing tasks, sometimes our participants are more comfortable talking to someone closer to their age about certain issues versus talking to a facilitator. In that way, our mentors are able to form connections with our participants and continue to foster the goal of trust and communication in their lives.
Mentors at Carlsbad Caverns National Park
As a reward and thank you for all that our mentors do for us and the community, Youth Odyssey hosts mentor only events. We will have mentor only ropes courses where we go over the technical aspects of the course; and let them play on the high elements. We also have mentor only camping trips that last 3-6 days. The big thank you is our week long Spring Break and Thanksgiving trips they get to go on. This past Spring Break (2016) we took a group of mentors to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Most of our mentors had never been out of state, seen a real mountain, or even seen snow. It was an amazing trip and the mentors loved it. For Thanksgiving last year we went to Palo Duro Canyon and this year we are going to Big Bend National Park. Because our mentors are more mature and motivated on these trips, they are always a great group and wonderful role models for our new mentors-in-training to learn from.
Currently, Youth Odyssey has a former mentor as one of our part-time staff members and, when I asked him about his experience as a mentor and what he took away from it he expressed that,“Leadership is what I have gained out of being a mentor. I learned what it takes to step back and listen before acting. I also learned when you listen to everyone’s ideas, you can get the job done faster and more efficiently. Also, I have learned that their are no wrong idea’s because anything that is said can help steer [the group] to the right path. Leadership is not only about leading, it’s about helping a group of people, that when you take the leader out of the picture, that group can and will still function.”
Mentors as our Fall Fundraiser (2015)
I can’t say enough about how great our mentors-in-training and mentors are. They help us out with various tasks, never complaining about it, while keeping a smile on their faces. They are down for whatever we throw at them and are always trying to push themselves in Youth Odyssey, in their school, and home lives as well. Many of our mentors are in clubs and other organizations that require them to have service hours so that’s just one more bonus for them. One of our current mentors has become an intern for Youth Odyssey for one of her classes at school. She told me, “Since I have been in the program for so long and have loved it so much I decided to take things one step farther and become an intern.” Our mentors clearly love working with Youth Odyssey and now they get school credit for it too, it’s a win all around. Our mentors get to create stronger bonds with each other and with the staff. Some of the mentors have been in Youth Odyssey for over six years and we have seen them grow physically but also in the six life skills that Youth Odyssey focuses on (communication, teamwork, leadership, problem solving, goal setting, and trust). Youth Odyssey loves our mentors and we can’t wait to see where they all go after their time in Youth Odyssey and what the next generation of mentors has in store!
