Mentoring... The Core of ChalleNGe

Mentor1 All young people have the potential to be successful and responsible members of society but without the advice, friendship, reinforcement and support of a mentor to flourish, they could stumble. That is why mentors are so vital to the success of the youths in the Wyoming Youth ChalleNGe Program. With the assistance of a mentor, these young people can succeed no matter what their previous or future circumstances may be.

To become a Mentor you must:

Be 25 years of age or older
Be a resident of Wyoming and citizen of the United States, or legal resident
Reside within a reasonable distance of the Cadet
Be same gender as the Cadet
Be unrelated to and not living in the same household as the Cadet

A Mentor must be willing to:

Agree to a criminal background check
Attend one Mentor Day to be held at the Wyoming Youth ChalleNGe Academy (see the following section for more details)
Make weekly contacts by phone or mail with your Cadet after you have been trained and matched while the Cadet is at the Wyoming Youth ChalleNGe Academy (see the following sections for more details)
Make weekly contacts by phone, mail, or face-to-face with your Cadet after they complete the Residential portion of the program (see the following sections for more details)
Mail or e-mail a monthly report to Wyoming Youth ChalleNGe Program on the progress of your Cadet

Mentor Day
Mentor Day will be offered on two occasions during the Residential Phase in order to accommodate all the Mentors. You will only be allowed to attend one of these events. There are three mini-events that encompass Mentor Day. The day begins with Mentor Training.

The content of this training covers the following:

A program overview
Importance of Mentors
Roles and responsibilities
Mentoring tools
Mentoring dynamics

During the training you will get the opportunity to meet all the Staff who will be supporting you and your Cadet. There will be lunch during training. After training is complete, there will be a ceremony.

The Matching Ceremony. This is when the Mentor and the Cadet or as is known on this day, the Mentee make a vow to work together and use the skills they have both learned-the Cadet has also gone through a course in being an effective Mentee. Pictures are taken, a contract is signed, and vows are read to each other. This is a very big day for the Cadets and the entire campus takes part in this event.

The Off-site visit is an opportunity for the Mentor and the Mentee (Cadet) to spend time off campus together and the Cadet to start building a trusting relationship with the Mentor. There is a list of rules for the Off-site visit that is covered in the Mentor training.

Mentor/Cadet Relationship
As a Wyoming Youth ChalleNGe Mentor, you will be expected to maintain contact once you are matched, approximately 2 months during the Residential Phase and all 12 months of the Post-Residential phase for a total of approximately fourteen (14) months.

During the Residential or ChalleNGe Phase, communication is primarily letters and telephone calls. You are expected to write your Cadet at least one letter per week and he or she is expected to do the same. Once Mentors are matched, you are highly encouraged to visit your Cadet at the program but it is NOT required. The only trip you are required to make to the program is Mentor Day.

Once the Cadet graduates and enters the Post-Residential Phase, the Mentor maintains contact with their Cadet at least four times per month, approximately once a week. At least two (2) of those contacts must be face-to-face. At the end of each month a report MUST be submitted to the Mentor Coordinator indicating what took place at those meetings as well as any problems, changes or progress made by the Cadet. Mentors must also notify the Mentor Coordinator if there are any changes in address, phone number, or significant problems or difficulties with their Cadet.

Mentor Coordinator
The Mentor Coordinator is a resource for the Mentor to go for help. The Mentor Coordinator can assist with concerns a Mentor may have about the direction the relationship is heading or perhaps the direction the Cadet is heading. The Mentor Coordinator is here to serve the needs of the Mentor.

The Mentor Acceptance Process
Once the Recruitment Placement and Mentor Office receives your application, there are a few steps to acceptance. They are as follows:

Step 1: Receive completed application packet. If complete, proceed to step 2.

Step 2: Send release of information form to law enforcement for criminal background check. If acceptable, proceed to step 3. If not, notify Mentor of reason. RPM office does not discuss results of criminal background checks with Cadet or family of Cadet.

Step 3: Conduct interview of Prospective Mentor. If acceptable, proceed to step 4.

Step 4: Send off reference checks. If acceptable, proceed to step 5.

Step 5: Invite Prospective Mentor to Mentor Day. If Prospective Mentor attends, proceed to step 6

Step 6: You are a Mentor!