Being a Mentor:
- Commit to a minimum of one year as a NextStep Mentor.
- Communicate weekly with the youth you are mentoring.
- Connect in-person monthly with the youth you are mentoring. This can be in a NextStep hosted life skills class.
Building a Relationship:
Each relationship between mentor and mentee is different. It takes time to establish a relationship. This is why we ask for mentors to be consistent in setting weekly and monthly connections, building a trusting relationship that lasts.
You should be prepared to visit your mentee at their home or placement, and work towards feeling comfortable together in the community. Your experience will be unique to you and your mentee, and will be supported by the NextStep Mentoring team!
Throughout the Year:
The NextStep Mentoring Team hosts events and additional classes throughout the year for mentors and mentees to participate in.
Career Focused Examples:
- Career Fairs
- Resume Writing Classes
- Financial Literacy Training
- Soft Skills and Workplace Etiquette Workshop
- Mock Interview Nights
- Goal Setting Training
Relationship and Community Building Examples:
- Austin FC Games
- Bat Boat
- Trail of Lights
Still have questions about what mentoring looks like? Email lindsay@partnershipsforchildren.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mentoring is a structured and trusting relationship that brings teens affiliated with the child welfare system together with caring adults who offer guidance and encouragement aimed at developing the autonomy and supporting the growth of these young adults as they begin to navigate adulthood.
Mentors are all required to comply with DFPS licensing standards. Mentors must be over 21, and able to clear a background check. Once this has been completed prospective mentors will participate in online training and meet in-person with someone from the NextStep Mentoring Team to ensure they are a good fit for the program.
NextStep Mentoring takes geographical location, age, gender, goals, and interests into account when matching mentors and youth. Our goal is to connect youth with professionals in the career of interest to them as closely as possible. All mentor-youth matches are at will; if either party needs to withdraw, we will accommodate those requests.
NextStep Mentoring serves youth ages 16 – 26 who are in or have been affiliated with the child welfare system in the greater Austin area. The current NextStep Mentoring cohort are Bright Angel Scholars, a program of Foster Angels supporting students connected with foster care on their college journey.
NextStep Mentoring provides in-depth upfront training for all mentors to cover the foundations and important programmatic information. Additionally, all mentors are provided with wraparound support services including the opportunity for 1:1 check-in, phone calls, meetings, and community support through connections with other mentors.
This varies with each relationship. Weekly communication can be a phone call or text message exchange. If your mentee does not have access to a cell phone, communication can include email, using a parent/guardian/caregiver line to talk on the phone, or meeting in-person.
This also varies with each relationship. We highly encourage regular in-person meetings to strengthen relationships and put soft skills into action. Some in-person activities can include: job hunting, applications, resumes, doing service work, visit a college or vocational school, and exploring their community by going out to eat, visiting a park, playing sports, etc. The NextStep Mentoring team also plans activities for mentors and mentees to attend together, fulfilling the monthly in-person connection requirement.
Not ready to meet the full mentor requirements, but still looking to get involved? Click hear to learn more about more ways to support NextStep youth.