E-Mentoring

What is E-mentoring?

Online mentoring, or e-mentoring, is a mentoring relationship conducted via the Internet. E-mail can be the exclusive vehicle for young people and mentors to connect or it can be an additional communication tool for those who ordinarily meet in person. Either way, e-mentoring shares the goal of face-to-face mentoring: establishing a trusting, nurturing, positive relationship between the mentor and a young person.

E-Mentoring Documents Provided by the National Mentoring Partnership (www.mentoring.org):

Elements of Effective E-Mentoring Practices Promoting Responsible E-Mentoring Programs

Mentors Online: The E-mentoring Tool Kit™ Fact Sheet (PDF)

Making the Case for E-mentoring: Suggested Talking Points (PDF)

E-Mentoring Links

Achievement Advocate Online Mentoring Community
The Achievement Advocate Online Mentoring Community was founded in 2000 by Student Achievement and Advocacy Services, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to helping students maximize their potential. Each student enrolled in the program is assigned an on-line adult mentor. This personal coach joins with parents and teachers to create a team dedicated to building the life skills each student needs to set goals and achieve their dreams.
www.achievementadvocate.org

Be A Mentor
Employees of participating companies are email mentors for middle and high school students through the Be A Mentor Program. The goal of the program is to increase student achievement. Students learn Internet skills and connect with mentors who will guide and assist with classroom projects.
http://www.beamentor.org/Be_a_mantor_set1.htm

Connecting to Success
Connecting to Success is an electronic mentoring program, begun in 1999, designed to promote successful transition of youth with disabilities into adult life. The program uses a combination of e-mail and face-to-face meetings to facilitate mentoring relationships between young people and caring adults.
http://ici.umn.edu/ementoring/

The Digital Heros Campaign
Using the power of the internet to pair prominent individuals with teens from under-served communitites in online mentoring relationships.
www.digitalheroes.org

DO-IT / Camp Courage
Internet and College Preview Camp is an opportunity for teens with physical disabilities and/or speech, hearing or visual impairments to get an introduction to college life and get hands-on experiences with the Internet. The session is offered through a partnership between the University of Washington's DO-IT project and the Courage Center in Minnesota. Campers learn to access the wealth of information and support that is available on the Internet.
www.washington.edu/doit/Camps/courage.html

E-Buddies
E-Buddies seeks to fulfill the mission of Best Buddies International by facilitating e-mail friendships between people with and without developmental disabilities. Individuals are matched in e-mail friendships based on age, gender, and similar interests. E-Buddies never matches individuals that reside in the same state. Participants must commit to the program for one calendar year and to e-mail their match once per week.
www.ebuddies.org/about/index.html

The Electronic Emissary Project
The Electronic Emissary is a Web-based telementoring service and resource center that helps kindergarten through grade 12 teachers and students with Internet access locate mentors who are experts in various disciplines, for purposes of setting up curriculum-based electronic exchanges among the teachers, their students, and the mentors.
http://emissary.wm.edu/

GEM-SET
GEM-SET stands for Girl's Electronic Mentoring in Science, Engineering, and Technology. This is a program designed to connect young women in highschool with professional women in the science, engineering, and technology fields.
www.uic.edu/orgs/gem-set/index.htm

IBM MentorPlace
IBM MentorPlace is a comprehensive and structured online mentoring initiative that capitalizes on the knowledge, dedication, and enthusiasm of teachers and students, as well as on the expertise, experience, and volunteering spirit of IBM employees.
www.Mentorplace.org

icouldbe
icouldbe connects teens with career mentors over the Internet to help teens discover what they could be.
icouldbe.org

iMentor
iMentor matches young people from underserved communities in New York City with adult volunteers. Mentors & mentees email one another regularly, meet in-person a few times each semester at iMentor-sponsored events, and collaborate on-line on projects designed to improve students' reading, writing, research, and technology skills.
www.imentor.org

The International Telementor Program
The International Telementor Program (ITP) facilitates electronic mentoring relationships between professional adults and students worldwide, and is recognized as the leader in the field of academic based mentoring. Since 1995 over 15,000 students throughout nine countries have received support, encouragement, and professional guidance. ITP serves students in K-12 and home school environments as well as college and university settings.
www.telementor.org

Net at Two Rivers - Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Net at Two Rivers(N2R) is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation dedicated to serving youth in disadvantaged areas using the power of the Internet. They provide a secure virtual classroom called "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" Telementoring (FYBR) where volunteers mentor youth from disadvantaged areas and improve their lives. The FYBR goal is to improve workforce readiness skills in youth and achieve greater quantity and quality of mentoring than is possible with in-person matches. FYBR is unique because it is the world's first interactive, worldwide-web-based automation of the processes associated with mentoring. This includes all the steps associated with mentoring: recruitment, application, orientation, training, screening, matching, telementor/youth interaction, monitoring, closure, incentives and recognition of the youths, mentors and instructors.
www.n2r.net
www.fybr.org

NetMentors.Org
NetMentors.Org is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that helps students develop career aspirations by enlisting the support of experienced industry professionals as online mentors. The product of NetMentors.Org is a career development tool that introduces young people to arts, business, legal, science, and technology careers. The program connects teens with experienced professionals who provide advice, field questions, and assist the students.
www.NetMentors.org

Science Buddies
Science Buddies is a non-profit organization empowering students from all walks of life to help themselves and each other develop a love of science and an understanding of the scientific method. With the help of Mentors and Advisors, Science Buddies helps students improve their science skills and literacy, and inspires them to consider additional study or careers in science.
www.sciencebuddies.org/