Primary Investigator — Allison Cloth
Needs Based Mentoring (NBM), an innovative and evidence-based approach, is poised to change the landscape of youth mentoring in schools. By embedding evidence-based strategies into adult-youth mentoring, we’re bridging the gap between research and practice to support students at risk for school disengagement, mental health challenges, and more. The possible catalyst to affecting change is placing mentoring in schools, provided by teachers and other caring school professionals, which may ultimately require changes in educational policy. NBM is specifically geared towards the Response to Intervention (RtI), “Tier 3” (highest level of) individualized and intensive need for support services.
With the support of the Edith Lando VLC DPL Grant we are developing a comprehensive guide and dynamic multi-modal modules tailored to school professionals, in order to equip them with the tools to implement NBM effectively. This mentoring approach will directly impact vulnerable youth in schools and address academic and behavioral challenges in a student-centered and autonomy supportive way. NBM fills a crucial gap in existing mentoring programs offering an approach built on engagement, assessment, structure, teaching, and advocacy.
This project will gather together expertise from a diverse team of researchers and professionals from the UBC Faculty of Education, Mentor Canada, and those who gathered together at the Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring at Portland State University during the summer of 2024. By creating accessible online resources and professional development opportunities, we hope to empower school professionals to construct healthier, more supportive school environments for vulnerable youth, and build brighter futures, one mentoring relationship at a time.
