Opportunity to be Good: Elements of Group Mentoring at the Boys & Girls Clubs that Contribute to Positive Effects on Underprivileged Youth

• In Event: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Group Mentoring at the Boys & Girls Clubs: Results from a Four Year Study

Abstract

The Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) provides a unique setting where group mentoring occurs as a regular part of nearly every club activity. The opportunity to observe group mentoring and evaluate its outcomes at BGCA is plentiful and making direct observations and conducting interviews with mentees and mentors provides the opportunity to gather qualitative data that provides a rich understanding of how the clubs adhere to the national model for mentoring and the effects attending BGCA has on its members. Approximately 80 days of observation and 600 interviews were conducted annually at 20 purposefully selected club sites over a four year period. Sites were selected to represent four major types of clubs, settings (e.g, rural/suburban), and geographic areas. At each site 10 mentees were interviewed twice per year as well as their mentors (the mentor who facilitated the group mentoring program). Using a grounded theory and ethnography approach, this paper paints a picture of youth development at BGCA over the course of four years. Findings from the qualitative study are then compared with quantitative findings to produce the “big picture” effects of group mentoring at BGCA.

Authors

• Gale A. Mentzer, Grant Fundamentals, LLC

• Morris Jenkins, Southeast Missouri State University