The Minnesota Mentoring Conference is the region's only annual conference focused exclusively on supporting quality mentoring. This year's theme was "Quality in Action," featuring keynote speaker Andrea Taylor, Ph.D.

1. The Road from Research to
Practice
Andrea S. Taylor, Ph.D.
Temple University
The Intergenerational Center

2. qual·i·ty
1. That which defines something or
makes it what it is
2. Degree of excellence
(Dictionary: Macmillan p.786)

3. Why Does Quality Matter?
Greater academic achievement,
school engagement, school
adjustment and positive view of the
future (Rhodes, Spencer, Keller,
Liang & Noam, 2006; Taylor,
LoSciuto, sonkowsky & 1999)

4. Why Does Quality Matter?
Improved relationships with parents
(Tierney et. al. 1995)

5. Why Does Quality Matter?
Increased frequency of appropriate
interaction with peers (Grossman
and Gary, 1997)

6. Why Does Quality Matter?
Improved problem-solving skills
(Taylor et.al.1999)

7. Why Does Quality Matter?
Reduced substance use/abuse
(Aseltine et.al. 2000; LoSciuto et.al.
1996; Tierney et.al. 1995)

8. Why Does Quality Matter?
Overall reduction in risk-taking
behavior (Beier,et.al. 2000)

9. Why Does Quality Matter?
Presence of a mentor most important
asset for positive youth development
that exists in communities (Theokas
& Lerner, 2006; Larson, 2006)

10. By E.B. White(1952). Harper & Brothers. New York
Illustrations by Garth Williams

11. A youth in need

12. Wilbur meets
his new friend
and mentor

13. Wilbur wants
to be like his
mentor .
HIS “ah ha”
moment

14. Mentees
respond to
the image
we have of
them.
“Actually”,
said Wilbur,
“I FEEL
radiant”.

15. The
Reward

16. Mentoring as Social Policy
Gary Walker: Public/Private Ventures 2007
• There is evidence (as cited) that
mentoring is an effective strategy for
improving the lives, behavior and
performance of many youth;
• There is considerable skepticism about
the effectiveness of other types of
programming for youth , particularly those
for adolescents; and
• Mentoring is a direct response to the
overall reduction of adults in the lives of
youth.

17. Mentoring as Social Policy:
The Challenges
• The “Zero-Sum” Game
• The Limits of Scale
• Quality Control
• Mentoring is not a panacea for all youth
• Mentoring alone may not be enough

18. A Cautionary Tale :
It’s not just “any mentoring””
Recruiting strategies for
both mentors and mentees
must be based on realistic
expectations (Spencer,
2007)
Matching based on
mentor’s skills,
interpersonal skills and
common interests with
youth are important
considerations (Spencer,
2006)
Elements of Effective
Practice: 3rd Edition
MENTOR (2009)
Mentor screening
practices have
implications for safety and
match duration (DuBois &
Neville, 1997)
Mentors receiving pre-
match training reported
higher levels of
confidence, efficacy and
closeness to their mentees
and were more likely to
continue for a second year
(Herrera , 2007)

19. RESEARCH
PRACTICE

20. The road from research to practice
doesn’t need to look like this…

21. It can look more like this…

22. Tools to Help Guide the Course

23. Two Questions
Why invest the time?
What are the challenges?

24. Why Invest the Time?

25. ©
AcrossAges
Case Study
ACROSS AGES:
An Intergenerational
Mentoring Approach
to Drug Prevention
Demonstration – Replication – Dissemination

26. ACROSS AGES
• Center for Substance Abuse Prevention
(SAMHSA)
• Across Ages Demonstration (1991-1996)
• Across ages Replication (1996-1998)
• Project Youth Connect (1999-2002)
• Across Ages Dissemination (2002-2005)
©
AcrossAges
85 Replications across the U.S.

27. Replication:
Lessons Learned
• Organizational Capacity
• Partnerships
• Fidelity to Model/Community Impact
• Sustainability
©
AcrossAges

28. Time
Money
What are the Challenges?
Staff
Others?

29. How Can We Address the
Challenges?
Map Your
Program -
Identify
Strengths
and Gaps.

30. How Can We Address the
Challenges?
Create a
Logic Model

31. How Can We Address the
Challenges?
Engage new
or existing
volunteers in
capacity
building
roles.

32. How Can We Address the
Challenges?
Utilize
existing
resources
and tools.