The goal of the National Mentoring Resource Center is to improve the quality and effectiveness of mentoring programs and relationships across the country by supporting practitioners to more deeply incorporate evidence-based practices into their work. In 2013, the Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) selected MENTOR to establish a national training and technical assistance center focused solely on mentoring. The NMRC builds on OJJDP’s history of leadership and investment in quality youth mentoring by harnessing the 25 years of experience brought by MENTOR and its Affiliates.
Overview
The National Mentoring Resource Center serves as a comprehensive and reliable resource for training and technical assistance at the local program level, while also providing mentoring tools, resources, and reviews of mentoring research and best practices. The resources and technical assistance provided are in alignment with current research in our field and the national standards for quality mentoring, The Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring™.
Technical assistance
Mentoring programs across the United States can apply for no-cost training and technical assistance to support them in more deeply incorporating evidence-based practices, ultimately leading to greater positive outcomes for young people. This technical assistance will be provided by MENTOR’s Affiliates and other experts in the field. Examples of potential technical assistance that might be requested include: development of high-quality mentor training materials; guidance and consultation on mentor recruitment plans and screening strategies; analysis and improvement of match support processes; and recommendations on best practices for serving challenging youth populations or designing innovative service models.
Quality research & resources
The research review work of the NMRC is led by our NMRC Research Board, chaired by Dr. David DuBois at the University of Illinois at Chicago. This Research Board is comprised of prominent mentoring and youth development researchers who have expertise in areas that are representative of the diversity in youth mentoring program models, settings for implementation, and specific populations and outcomes of interest.
The NMRC Research Board also helps develop a repository of mentoring program resources (e.g., training guides, handbooks and curricula) that are intended to promote positive youth outcomes, particularly those relating to the prevention of delinquent behavior, victimization and juvenile justice system involvement. All of these materials are reviewed by the Research Board to assess the evidence that supports their effectiveness.