In the United States, there are more than 5,000 mentoring organizations that facilitate “stranger to stranger” matches that support young people during the challenging period of adolescence—but only 5 percent of the participants are successfully matched with a volunteering mentor.
But there is an alternative system that has been around for millennia: natural mentoring. In Greek mythology, it is Odysseus’ friend and adviser Mentor who takes care of his son when he departs to Troy. Today, natural mentors might be uncles, aunts, neighbors, teachers, sports coaches and acquaintances, on whom young people naturally fall back when times are difficult. And the positive impact can be tremendous. Læs videre “The Untapped Potential of “Natural Mentoring””