Mentoring... The Core of ChalleNGe

A hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of car I drove, but the world may be different because I was important in the life of a child.

To become a Mentor you must:

• Be 25 years of age or older
• Be a resident of Florida and citizen of the United States, or legal resident
• Reside within a reasonable distance of the Cadet
• Be same gender as the Cadet
• Be unrelated to and not living in the same household as the Cadet

A Mentor must be willing to:

• Agree to a criminal background check
• Attend one Mentor Day to be held at Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy (see the following section for more details)
• Make weekly contacts by phone or mail with your Cadet after you have been trained and matched while Cadet is at Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy (see the following sections for more details)
• Make weekly contacts by phone, mail, or face-to-face with your Cadet after they complete the Residential portion of the program (see the following sections for more details)
• Mail or e-mail a monthly report to Florida Youth ChalleNGe Academy on the progress of your Cadet

Mentor Day
Mentor Day will be offered on two occasions during the Residential Phase in order to accommodate all the Mentors. You will only be allowed to attend one of these events. There are three mini-events that encompass Mentor Day. The day begins with Mentor Training.

The content of this training covers the following:

• A program overview
• Importance of Mentors
• Roles and responsibilities
• Mentoring tools
• Mentoring dynamics

During the training you will hear from past Mentors, get the opportunity to network with other Mentors and meet all the Staff who will be supporting you and your Cadet. There will be lunch during training. After training is complete, there will be a ceremony.

The Matching Ceremony. This is when the Mentor and the Cadet or as is known on this day, the Mentee make a vow to work together and use the skills they have both learned-the Cadet has also gone through a course in being an effective Mentee. Pictures are taken, a contract is signed, vows are read to each other, and a pin commemorating the day is exchanged. This is a very big day for the Cadets and the entire campus takes part in this event. Once this ceremony is complete, the third mini-event begins.

Mentor/Cadet Relationship
As a Florida Youth ChalleNGe Mentor, you will be expected to maintain contact once you are matched, approximately 2 months during the Residential Phase and all 12 months of the Post-Residential phase for a total of approximately fourteen (14) months.

During the Residential or ChalleNGe Phase, communication is primarily letters and telephone calls. You are expected to write your Cadet at least one letter per week and he or she is expected to do the same. Once Mentors are matched, you are encouraged to visit your Cadet at the Academy but it is NOT required. The only trip you are required to make to the Academy is Mentor Day.

Once the Cadet graduates and enters the Post-Residential Phase, the Mentor maintains contact with their Cadet at least four times per month. At least two (2) of those contacts must be face-to-face. At the end of each month a report must be submitted to the Mentor Coordinator indicating what took place at those meetings as well as any problems, changes or progress made by the Cadet. Mentors must also notify the Mentor Coordinator if there are any changes in address, phone number, or significant problems with their Cadet.

The Mentor Coordinator is a resource for the Mentor to go for help. The Mentor Coordinator can assist with concerns a Mentor may have about the direction the relationship is heading or perhaps the direction the Cadet is heading. The Mentor Coordinator is here to serve the needs of the Mentor.

The Mentor Acceptance Process
Once the Recruitment Placement and Mentor Office receives your application, there are a few steps to acceptance. They are as follows:

1. Receive completed application packet. If complete, proceed to step 2.
2. Send release of information form to law enforcement for criminal background check. If acceptable, proceed to step 3. If not, notify Mentor of reason. RPM office does not discuss results of criminal background checks with Cadet or family of Cadet.
3. Conduct interview of Prospective Mentor. If acceptable, proceed to step 4.
4. Send off reference checks. If acceptable, proceed to step 5.
5. Invite Prospective Mentor to Mentor Day. If Prospective Mentor attends, proceed to step 6
6. You are a Mentor!