Autumn 2011.pub - Australian Youth Mentoring Network

Mentors’ Perspectives on a
Service-Learning Experience
Hughes, Carolyn, Elizabeth Boyd and Sara J. Dykstra. 2010. “Evaluation of
a university-based mentoring program: Mentors’ perspectives on a service-
learning experience.” Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning 18(4):
361-382.
382.
Th e r esearc h cond uc t ed b y H ughes, B o y d
and Dks t r a ( 2010) s e eks t o u nd e rstand
y out h m e ntorin g f r o m a s t ud e nt m en t o r
s t andpoint . Th e r es e a rc h p ro v id es a s e r vic e -
learn in g a p p ro ach t o y ou t h m e nt o ri ng
p r og ra m .
A s ervic e l ea r ning approac h can b e d ef in e d
as a “ r eciproc al r el ationship in wh ic h
s t u d e n t s a d d r e s s a c o m m u n i t y n e e d ,
inc r e ase t h e ir c i vic e ngagem ent , a nd f oster
t heir s o cial awaren es s b y r ef l ecting on t h ei r
s e r vic e a c t i v it y ” (H ug hes , B o yd a nd D ykstra ,
2010: 363). T his a p p ro ac h t o y ou t h
m e ntorin g m a y h e l p r e duc e i nc id enc es wh e r e
m e ntor relat i ons hips fail.
Th e r es ea r ch s e l ec t ed a la r ge pr i vat e
unive rs it y i n s out h eas t e rn U S wit h m e nt oring
p r og ra m s i n h ig h s c hool s l oc at ed i n high
p o ve rt y areas where one of t he main pu r p os e
of m ent o ri ng is t o i m p r ove t h e o utcom es o f
t he y o uth attend i ng t hes e high s c h oo l s .
Cond uct in g t h e p r og r am i n t he high s chool
gave m e ntors t h e p os s ibili t y t o s e e firsthand
and und e rstand the c h alleng es of p overt y.
In c o njunct i on t o m e e t in g m ent e es, m ent o r s
w ere p ro v id ed w ith s t ru c t u r ed c lasses a n d
w ere given r ead i ngs r el at ed t o p o v e rt y. Th i s
com p on e nt of t he p r og ra m en hanc ed t heir
m e ntorin g e x p e ri e nc e s a nd ro l e as it g a v e
t he m e ntors a foundat ion t o c om p r eh e nd t h e
chall e ng es o f po v e rt y. Th e a uthors c on clud e
t hat pa rt ic i pat ion in t he p r og r am g a ve t h e
s t ud ent m ent o rs a n o p p ortunit y t o r ef l ect o n
t heir r el ationships w ith m e nt e es a nd h o w
t hey w ou ld chang e t heir o w n b e havior and
wa y of m e ntorin g in t h e fut ure.
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