What's a Mentor?

Mentors come in all shapes and sizes. Mentors are old, young, and in-between. They are teachers, doctors, full-time moms, bus drivers, students, and retirees. Some are quiet, some are loud. Some like the theater while others prefer sports. But all mentors have one thing in common...they have chosen to include a young person in their lives.

Mentors are adults who give of their time to act as role models, guides, and cheerleaders for a child or a teen. A mentor provides the caring, support, and encouragement many kids today need to stay in school, out of trouble, and on the right track.

About Mentoring

Research has shown that the one-on-one relationships formed through formal mentoring programs make a real difference in the lives of young people who are struggling to succeed in today's complex world. This small investment of your time is a huge investment in our community's future.

Mentors have reported certain side-effects associated with becoming a mentor. These side-effects have included: enjoying little break from the everyday hassles of life, experiencing a sense of personal fulfillment, encountering opportunities to meet new people, learning new skills, and developing a better understanding of young people. These side effects should not be taken lightly!

Mentoring programs come in a variety of forms. Their focus may be academic or social. The kids each program serves can range from children with an incarcerated parent to college-bound high school students from the inner city. Programs can be structured site-based programs with specific meeting times and locations, or more flexible community-based programs that allow mentors and students to arrange activities with each other according to their own schedules. Whatever the type of program you are seeking, Milwaukee Mentors has a partner agency to meet your needs and interests.

A mentor is someone who allows you to see the hope inside yourself. A mentor is someone who allows you to know that no matter how dark the night, in the morning joy will come. A mentor is someone who allows you to see the higher part of yourself when sometimes it becomes hidden to your own view.

I think mentors are important and I don't think anybody makes it in the world without some form of mentorship. Nobody makes it alone. Nobody has made it alone. And we are all mentors to people even when we don't know it

» Oprah Winfrey