Iowa MENTOR Elevates Professional Experiences for Youth: a Mentor-Mentee Spotlight
August 5, 2021
National Mentoring Project, Connect Focus Grow, Workforce Development, Our Affiliates
Oftentimes when people imagine a “boss,” they think of someone who runs meetings, signs paychecks, and works in a closed-off office, far away from the rest of the employees. Iowa MENTOR is working to dismantle that narrative and to get those in the workforce – everyone from interns to CEOs – asking the question, “What if a boss could be more?”
With the use of MENTOR’s Connect|Focus|Grow curriculum, Iowa MENTOR is training supervisors to approach and engage their young employees with a mentoring mindset. By helping transform working partnerships into mentoring relationships, Connect|Focus|Grow positively impacts workplace culture and drives workplace equity.
CONNECT|FOCUS|GROW AT PLAY
In Iowa, the City of Davenport AmeriCorps/Youth Corps program is working to provide people between the ages of 17-19 with summer employment. The program places these young people at work sites that align with their interests, providing them with the opportunity to explore various career interests while earning a stipend and supporting their community.
When 17-year-old Jon Jones signed up for the program, he was paired with Louise Hill, the Achievers Director for the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley. Thanks to Connect|Focus|Grow, they’ve both been able to really learn from one another and make the most of the experience.
In describing her mentoring approach, Louise said, “I make myself available so that if [Jon] has any questions or concerns, he knows that I’m open and understanding and that he can come to me with those issues… A lot of these young people are learning who they are,” said Louise. “We have to be more flexible to allow them to explore other possibilities.”
I feel that I’m in a powerful role to where I can kind of help mold Jon as well as others to be the best that they can be.
Louise Hill, Achievers Director for the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley
Before meeting Louise, Jon planned to pursue custodial and maintenance work at the YMCA. With Louise’s encouragement to try other areas of work, Jon discovered a passion for working with children. “I like to be a role model and a leader… It doesn’t feel like a job; it feels like a hobby. To get paid to do something I love is amazing. I see myself doing this for a long time.”
For Louise, working with Jon has given her a new perspective as well. “Not only have I had the opportunity to be a mentor, but to learn as well,” shared Louise. “Jon is the mentee that gives me hope that our youth can be saved and we do have a bright future.”
HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
The National Mentoring Project is managed by MENTOR, in partnership with the America’s Promise Alliance / Center for Promise and with support from the Schultz Family Foundation. Find out how to bring this program to your organization, here.