One of the 15 Effective Strategies we identified was Mentoring. In 2004, a Public/Private Ventures study of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America found that of the young people with mentors:
- 78 percent showed improved self-confidence
- 67 percent were better able to make decisions
- 65 percent were better able to express their feelings
- 52 percent were less likely than their peers to skip a day of school
- 46 percent were less likely to start using illegal drugs
- 27 percent were less likely to start drinking alcohol
Teachers reported behavior changes in students who had mentors, as found in Creative Mentoring’s Annual Report of the 2004 – 2005 school year. Of those students:
- 81 percent increased their self-confidence
- 68 percent think more before acting
- 61 percent improved their ability to relate to adults
- 67 percent were better able to express their feelings
- 62 percent demonstrated better cooperation
- 56 percent improved in reading
- 56 percent became more responsible
- 63 percent improved their attitude toward learning
- 60 percent participated more frequently in class
Parents reported behavioral improvements in their children who had mentors as well. Parents stated their children had:
- 88 percent increased their self-confidence
- 85 percent demonstrated better cooperation
- 72 percent increased reading skills
- 75 percent increased their attitude toward learning
- 78 percent became more responsible
- 74 percent improved in language arts
- 74 percent were better able to follow directions
- 71 percent participated more in class
- 79 percent were better able to express their feelings