In this conversation, Sophia and Ashley talk with Frank Kamara about how building next works of support for youth is an important part of giving them access to new spaces and exploring new possibilities and opportunities. Paying attention to their feedback and their interests can help caring adults and mentoring programs find ways to build relation…

Sports can be a big part of a young person’s life, and few know this better than Coach Bob Jones who has been coaching youth football for more than 30 years! Caring adults – including coaches – can use sports to connect with young people in many ways and can provide valuable opportunities to talk with youth about behavior change. Join us for this c…

Goal setting can be challenging at any age. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Deanna Sinex about how Youth Enrichment Services (YES) and other supporting partners work with the City of Pittsburgh to implement the Youth Civic Leadership Academy (YCLA) and help youth explore career fields, learn valuable skills, and gain access to unique opportunitie…

Crossroads Foundation approach to supporting their young scholars ensures that each young person has access to a diverse network of adults and peers. Join us for a conversation with Lead Counselor Justin Pacini about how their program centers relationship building and expanding the social capital of young people to help them access educational oppo…

A mentoring relationship doesn’t usually happen in isolation – there are lots of important people in the lives of young people! Connecting Champions knows this and is always intentional about working with others close to their mentees to help ensure the positive outcomes. Join us for this discussion with Coy Thompson about how Connecting Champions …

What does it mean to honor youth voice? How do we share power with young people and allow them agency in mentoring relationships? In this episode, we talk with Adelaide Moschler and start at the very beginning with what youth voice is and what it means. Listening to young people can help you build stronger relationships with the young people you kn…

When you’re working with a group of young people, how do you make sure that everyone feels seen and heard? Mentoring isn’t always one-to-one with a young person and how you approach connection and relationship building can look differently in a group. In this episode, we talk with Kristy DeCola about how to facilitate mentoring relationships with g…

Hello Neighbor in Pittsburgh works hard to foster a welcoming and supportive community to our newest neighbors. In this discussion with Jenni Walkup Jayes, we discuss the important role that cultural humility plays in making this happen. It’s not always easy! But making an effort to self-reflect as well as learn about the young people in your life …

What’s more fun than talking about…well…fun! At the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, staff know how important fun and play is when creating welcoming spaces and building relationships with young people. In this episode, we talk with Kelly Rottmund about all the work and intention that’s happening behind the scenes to make sure that the library is a …

What can I do to be a better mentor? In Season 5, Ashley & Sophia invite guests from local organizations and affiliate partners to discuss MENTOR’s Becoming a Better Mentor Guide: Strategies to Be There for Young People. This guide is a free resource written by experts, and it benefits any adult looking to support young people and is full of real-w…

If you listened to our first episode this season, you know that the second leading cause of death in people ages 10-34 is suicide. In this episode, our guest Laurie Barnett Levine, Licensed Social Worker and Chief Executive Officer at Mental Health America of Southwestern PA, talks about the climbing rates of suicide as a result of the COVID pandem…

Dr. Elizabeth Joy, CEO & Founder of JoySociety, chats with us about her research and theory…Success as a Protector Factor. You might be surprised at what Dr. Elizabeth Joy uncovered in her research! In this episode, Dr. Elizabeth Joy talks about redefining and reimagining success as something more holistic to help mentors and caring adults, be inte…

This is a special episode of Mentor Chat where we are talking with young people directly. As caring adults, sometimes we think we know what’s best for young people, but without including them in the conversation and recognizing them as experts of their lives, do we really have their best interest at heart? In this episode, three young people share …

Our guests, Nicole Homerin and Kristin Humphrey, from Partners for Youth with Disabilities share the importance of accessibility (specifically disability accessibility) when it comes to supporting youth mental health and wellbeing. This episode is loaded with information and resources on how mentors and other caring adults can best support young pe…

In this episode of Mentor Chat, guest Dr. Stephanie Romero, Executive Director of Awaken Pittsburgh, chats with Michelle & Ashley about her personal mindfulness & meditation practices and how it changed the trajectory of her career. She is now inspiring educators, students, healthcare professionals and organizations to reduce stress and seek clarit…

We are excited to kick off this season of Mentor Chat with guest Misty Woody, Chief Development Officer at Allegheny Family Network. Allegheny Family Network delivers services through individual parent-to-parent support, support groups, parent education opportunities, the Parent Support Line, and social events. In this episode, Misty takes a deep d…

As we recorded the final episode of this season, our nation was in the grips of tragedy following mass shootings in Buffalo, NY, Orange County, CA and Uvalde, TX. Events like this are heartbreaking and have, unfortunately, become all too common. Now more than ever, it's important for caring adults to be there for young people and to foster open, ho…

Imagine if we surrounded young people with mentors everywhere that they live, learn, work, and play. And not only with new connections, but also through recognizing and building upon the important relationships that are already there! In our last interview of Season 3, we talk with Brenda Jimenez, CEO of MENTOR New York about this potential and mor…

Entering into the workforce as a young person is tough! In this episode of Mentor Chat, we talk with Charline Alexandre-Joseph, Senior Director of Systems Innovation (formerly Director of Workforce Development) at MENTOR, about recruiting, supporting, and retaining young people in a workplace. This is a conversation relevant to adults, young people…

Wouldn't it be nice if there was a handbook for everything? Well now at least there's a guide for how to be a better mentor to young people! In the first interview of the season, Ashley and Michelle talk with Mike Garringer, Director of Research and Evaluation at MENTOR about MENTOR's new free resource for any adult. Becoming a Better Mentor: Strat…

You've heard us talk all about mentoring, but what does working in the mentoring field really look like? Who is TMP and what do we do? What's happening in the mentoring movement nationally and in other places around the country? In this introduction to Season 3, Michelle and Ashley provide some context around these questions and lay the groundwork …

January is National Mentoring Month, and in honor of that, we have a special feature episode of Mentor Chat that you don't want to miss! We had the pleasure of sitting down with Gregg Behr to talk about strategies for creating atmosphere's of learning through Everyday Mentoring. In this episode, Gregg touches on Remake Learning Days, defines learni…

Join Ashley and Michelle as they wrap up the season and discuss impactful moments from the interviews with Dr. Dana Winters, Dr. Harriet Schwartz, and Principal Eric Harper. Do you have questions or thoughts of your own? Share them with us! Leave a review or visit our website to get in touch! Stay Connected with TMP: Sign up to receive weekly Every…

The COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge for schools, students, and educators. At Duquesne Elementary School, Principal Harper and his team continue to face those challenges. Even so, Everyday Mentoring has remained at the heart of what they do. Listen in to our last interview of Season 2 as we talk with Principal Harper about how …

When we talk about mentoring, what we're really talking about is relationships. Just because it may not be called "mentoring," doesn't mean that it isn't an important relationship. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Harriet Schwartz - author and professor - about what it means to have growth-fostering relationships and how we can be intentional abou…