Developing Mentor Relationships in Psychology

<em>Abstract.-</em>The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission incorporated fishing clinics into its Urban Fisheries Program in 1999. Clinics are designed to expose youth to fishing opportunities, and it is our goal to utilize fishing clinics to enrich the lives of youth with the outdoor experience. In the process, we aim to recruit new anglers and ultimately increase fishing permit sales. For a fishing clinic to be successful in recruiting new anglers, it must meet the needs of participants. A fishing clinic must provide them with quality fishing equipment and readily available assistance. It must take place at a location where participants will catch fish in comfort and safety. A clinic must be the grounds for establishing lasting mentor relationships, and most importantly, it must provide participants with the skills necessary for them to enjoy fishing in the future as dedicated anglers. Considering the options for bait, target fish species, equipment, clinic location, participant age, group type, and clinic structure will do much to ensure that a fishing clinic is a success for everyone involved.

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The value of a semi-formal peer mentorship program for first-year students’ studies, socialization and adaptation

Active Learning in Higher Education ◽

10.1177/1469787420945212 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 146978742094521

Author(s):

Art Tsang

Keyword(s):

First Year ◽

Peer Mentors ◽

First Year Students ◽

Mentorship Program ◽

Peer Mentorship ◽

Mentor Relationships ◽

University Life ◽

Transitional Challenges ◽

Group Interviews ◽

Adaptation To College

Mentoring is a widespread practice in different sectors in society. It is particularly prevalent in higher education. Many have acknowledged the various transitional challenges encountered by first-year tertiary-level students. Greater support is therefore needed for this particular student group. This mixed-methods year-long case study examined the value of a semi-formal peer mentorship program for 10 first-year students who were low-achievers. It focused on the assistance provided by peer mentors for their studies, socialization, and adaptation to college/university life. The three mentors’ views of the program were also explored. Data were collected via questionnaires administered three times to the mentees and end-of-program group interviews for both the mentees and mentors. The overall findings show that the students perceived the assistance from the mentors to be useful for academic studies, socialization, and adaptation to college/university life. However, their perceptions varied across the entire year. The metaphors used by the mentees to describe their mentors—shepherds, torches and candlewax—depicted different facets of the mentee-mentor relationships and the value of the program. The study highlights the value of such semi-formal peer mentoring for low-achieving first-year students especially for institutions which lack resources.

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