Nurturing Children and Youth to Help Them Thrive!

What enables some children and youth to do well in life, to successfully navigate life’s challenges and to feel hopeful about the future in spite of adversity, while others are over-whelmed or uncertain?

Research has determined that the one clear difference between these two categories of young people is the presence of a significant mentoring or supportive adult influence in their lives that enhances their strengths, resources and ability to thrive in the face of life’s inevitable challenges.

Role of Mentoring

Mentoring has the potential to bring about positive change for children and youth. Like adults, children and youth are social beings who live their lives in the context of relationships with others. The goal of mentoring is to make connections with children and youth, forming a positive relationship based on empowerment, altruism and mutuality. These qualities lay the foundation for young people as they work to succeed and develop life skills.

In many ways, effective mentoring embraces the goals and focus of positive youth development. As in mentoring, positive youth development uses strength-based approaches that promote healthy child and youth development by building relationships with caring adults within supportive community environments.

Please click on this link for further information on
Strength-Based Mentoring

This information has been adapted from:
Alberta Mentoring Partnership. (2010). Strength-based mentoring: nurturing the social capacity of children and youth to thrive.