Peer Mentoring Program Specialist
Why Should Teens Become Peer Mentors?
At some point in their teenage years, most young people experience feelings of isolation or being misunderstood, even in the best of times. Especially after a year of #PandemicLife, though, many teens feel a need for greater connection with family, friends, and supportive peers who just “get” them. Without casual social meetups and typical school schedules, those connections can be even harder to forge and maintain. That’s where Peer Mentoring—and where you—can help make a difference.
Peer Mentoring means building a relationship with a peer who is about your age or a little younger, checking in with them regularly, and supporting them through their individual challenges and obstacles. Peer Mentoring doesn’t have to be time consuming or stressful. In fact, with the new text-message-based program UpStreet is launching this spring, you can volunteer as a Peer Mentor from anywhere, with nothing more than an internet-ready device!
When you connect with a Peer Mentee, you’re building a dependable connection that they can lean on for ongoing support and motivation. That initial connection might be between two people, but the ripple effect is much greater. As you help a peer develop confidence and self-efficacy, they spread that positive growth in their own family and community. You might even inspire them to mentor others down the line!
The benefits of higher confidence and self-esteem aren’t just for mentees, either. Nothing will boost your own confidence quite like knowing you have made a positive impact on someone else’s life! As you mentor a peer through their achievements and setbacks alike, you will develop leadership skills that will serve you well in your future educational and career endeavors. You may also find yourself better able to cope with your own challenges in the future after coaching a mentee through theirs. You’ll be supported every step of the way by UpStreet’s caring staff members and a private social network with your fellow mentors. And with a straightforward, text-message-based program, UpStreet’s Peer Mentoring program couldn’t be simpler or more flexible to use.
If sending encouraging and helpful text messages to a peer sounds doable to you, and if you’d like to find a way to build your own confidence and leadership skills while helping someone else grow, then becoming a Peer Mentor might be a great fit for you! UpStreet’s new Peer Mentoring program is accepting applications for Mentors right now, so don’t delay. Follow the link below if you’d like to find out more and join the team!
