Navigating and Mentoring

A Mentoring Breakfast held in Traverse City was part of an ongoing effort to improve mentoring programs in Northwest Michigan. The event was organized by the Traverse Bay Poverty Reduction Initiative (PRI).

"One on one relationships is what it's all about," said Jim Rowlett, PRI Co-chairman. "That's how we help people make progress and succeed."

Representatives from a variety of organizations with mentoring programs attended the breakfast. A similar meeting last fall kicked off the effort to have those organizations work together to help each other. This meeting included a presentation by Michigan State University Extension Mentoring Specialist Lisa Bottomley. She talked about a variety of resources that are available to help organizations develop effective mentoring programs.

"If it's a formal mentoring program, there will be structure and boundaries and rules," said Bottomley. "Knowing what the appropriate constraints of your relationship are is really important."

The Mentoring Breakfast also included a review of a survey done to show the strengths of the region's mentoring programs along with the needs they all have. Knowing that will help them identify areas where they can work together.

"I think the more people collaborate, a potential volunteer can come in and find the right program for them," said Bottomley.

"We have a sense of collaboration, it absolutely exists," said Steve Wade, Co-Chairman of PRI's Mentoring Subcommittee. "If we're aware of the work that other people are doing, then there is a common bond-that safety net of services that we're all trying to build."

Michigan State University Extension Mentoring Specialist, Lisa Bottomley, discusses some of the keys to successful mentoring.