The Infrastructure

So, you think your mentoring program is ready to take off … you have a group of people who are committed to making the program work. You recruited some enthusiastic volunteers who are keen to become mentors, and you identified some young people who lack adult friendship and guidance. What more could you possibly need to get a mentoring program off the ground?

The truth is, you need a lot more than some dedicated people with good intentions. Before you can build a strong mentoring program, you need to build a solid infrastructure or foundation to base it upon.

The concept of mentoring is a simple one, yet the administration of mentoring programs can be quite complex. Whether your program is just getting started, or has been in existence for years, you must ensure that it rests upon strong organizational pillars. In doing so, you are likely to increase its quality and durability.

To be structurally sound from ground up, your program should be supported by:

• An analysis of the entire program and its feasibility
• A suitable organizational framework
• A clear mission statement and strategic plan
• Appropriate human resources
• Basic administrative requirements.

Let's get busy and build your mentoring program's infrastructure. We'll start with an assessment of the program and its viability.

<< previous  |  next >>