A mentor is a caring adult friend who devotes time to a young person. A mentor echoes the positive values and cultural heritage that parents and guardians teach.

Mentorship helps a young person define individual goals and find ways to achieve them. Since the expectations of each child will vary, a mentor's job is to encourage the development of a flexible relationship that responds to both the mentor's and the young person's needs.

By sharing fun activities, like sports, and exposing a child to new experiences, mentorship encourages positive choices, promotes high self-esteem, supports academic achievement, and introduces the young person to new ideas.