MentorApplication

Aurora Youth Options Mentor Program OverviewThe Aurora Youth Options (AYO) Mentor Program is focused on supporting youth to be successful, living up to their full potential, and having the life that they desire. To achieve this goal AYO offers youth a strong one to one mentoring relationship with a caring adult volunteer from the community. In addition the program offers youth life skills development, referrals to pro social activities and services within the community, coaching and relationship support guidance from our qualified staff and monthly program support. AYO believes youth who believe in themselves will set high goals for themselves. Our goal is to help youth see and understand their individual potential and feel comfortable growing where they are planted.

AYO Mentoring Life Skills Program

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Matching based on interests.

Meet twice a month.

Supportive Mentor: nonjudgemental, build realtionship, coach and

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kills Monthly Life Skills Activity

OR On The Go

Volunteer together at least twice a year.

Work with youth to set goals for the match

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Ongoing needs assesment of youth.

Referals to resources in the community to support youths

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Referals can include: academic support, family leadership, college and career support and prosocial

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Interviews, Background screening & Training

Monthly feedback, coaching and ongoing

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Mentor support events

Youth’sSuccess

Who Are Youth Mentors

Mentor: a wise and trusted counselor or teacher.

Aurora Youth Options is committed to supporting the Aurora community efforts towards providing a safe environment for our youth. Street gangs lure youth with false promises of safety, belonging and financial security. AYO mentor program will help youth with real opportunities for self-discovery and personal growth.

Being an adult mentor provides youth with another caring adult and allows the youth to develop a healthy, trusting relationship. Mentors provide guidance, support, and friendship. In addition, mentors show a willingness to listen and serve as a role model to the youth. Parents, older family members, teachers, counselors, religious leaders, or coaches offer valuable support in a young person’s life. Depending on the circumstances, they may or may not be mentoring. Mentors are specifically working to build a healthy relationship of trust and respect with a young person. Mentors provide support and guidance towards developing the competence and character of the youth. Mentoring is best when it is accompanied by diverse program options such as: life skills, money management, career planning, life planning, drop-out prevention, interpersonal communication skills and life choices.

Mentors facilitate self-development, self-respect, and self-appreciation by lending a listening ear and offering gentle guidance. Mentors can help make a life lesson from a negative situation, exploring all the variables involved without judgment.

“Listening not imitating is the sincerest form of flattery…If you want to influence someone listen to what he/she says…When he/she is finished talking ask about points you do not understand” Dr. Joyce Brothers

The purpose of a mentoring program is the development of the mentor/mentee relationship. The Aurora Youth Options team is ready and eager to support this relationship with mentor training, match relationship building and guidance, themed program support, community activities and additional resources.

“To the world, you may just be somebody. But to somebody, you just might be the world” Unknown

AYO Mentoring Life Skills Program

The AYO Mentor Program works to offer youth an environment where life skills can be discovered. The greatest setting that AYO can offer is a mentoring relationship with a caring adult. To further support the match relationship we offer the match intentional situations and skill building activities to strengthen the relationship and promote life skills learning.

As a mentor you are asked to select monthly from one of two life skills options, either attending our Life Skills Monthly Activity or engaging with your mentee in the Life Skill On The Go. Monthly Life Skills Activities involve hearing from guest speakers, engaged in service projects, participate in pro social community activities or attend our annual campout; each activity involves life skills building components. Life Skills On The Go can come in many different forms such as several questions to start a conversation, an engaging activity, resources to explore or a community activity to attend. They are designed to be done with their mentor and cover the same life skills topic as that month’s Life Skills Activity.

Life Skills TopicsSELF: Who Am I? January – Values & VolunteerismFebruary – Understanding Your PersonalityMarch – Identifying Your Interests and SkillsApril – Appreciating Your Accomplishments & Assessing Your Confidence

WORLD: Where Am I Going?May – Where Am I?June – Where Am I Going? What are My Dreams? A youth and her mentor painted this wall.

July – Potential Careers for MeAugust – Understanding My Needs, My Wants and Budgets

ACTIONS: How Do I Get There?September – Choices & The Power of My DecisionsOctober – Future Planning: Education, Job Readiness and Skills BuildingNovember – Setting Goals & Achieving ThemDecember – Taking Action & Overcoming Challenges

VolunteeringAYO believes and research shows the impact that volunteering has on youth. We ask that you volunteer at least twice a year together. AYO’s Monthly Life Skills Activities often involve volunteering; however you can also find your own place to volunteer in the community.

Homework Help and TutoringAYO’s free Homework Help and Tutoring Program offers youth a weekly pro social environment to receive academic support. Drop in to a session with your youth.

Tuesdays: Martin Luther King Jr. Library9898 East Colfax Avenue Aurora, CO 800103:30-5:30pm

Thursdays: Aurora Central Library 14949 East Alameda Parkway Aurora, CO 800124:00-6:00pm

Mentor Volunteer Position DescriptionPosition Title: Aurora Youth Options Mentor Manager/Supervisor Title: Mentor

SpecialistTeam: Aurora Youth Options Date Prepared/Revised: October 2012

Essential Functions:1. Be able to fulfill the following time commitments:

Meet with your mentee, on average twice a month. Attend Monthly Life Skills Activity (community service project, guest speaker, or fun activity)

with your mentee. OR

Complete the Monthly Life Skills On The Go (conversation about the monthly theme, an engaging activity, resources to explore or a community activity to attend) with your mentee.

Make contact with your mentee, by phone or electronically, once weekly. Volunteer together at least twice a year. Two year commitment.

2. Complete and pass background check before meeting with youth.

3. Respect the confidential nature of all information pertaining to youth, families, staff and volunteers. Complete HIPAA training before meeting with youth (approx., 20 minutes).

4. Assist mentee in building socialization communication skills, and self-esteem. Demonstrate confidence and ability to work one on one with youth serving has a role model.

5. Be adaptable and ready to adjust activities towards interest and skill level of mentee.

6. Work cooperatively with youth, program staff and community volunteers in providing youth mentorship programming.

7. Behave as a positive role model in such areas as health and safety, language, conversation, relationship with youth and other adults.

8. Understanding and committed to supporting the strengths of the youth’s family and understanding the role you play as an adult friend/mentor.

9. Complete mentor training and support activities.

10. Demonstrate sensitivity to racial, ethnic and social diversity of individuals and family structures.

11. Must be 19 years or older.

_________________________________________________ _______________________Mentor Signature Date

_________________________________________________ _______________________Mentor Program Coordinator Signature Date

AYO Mentoring Program

Mentor a youth as described in the “Mentor Volunteer Position Description”

AYO Mentor Program Coordinator

This will be determined at a later date.

Aurora Mental Health and Aurora Youth Options do not discriminate against any volunteer or volunteer application on the basis of race, color, national origin (ancestry), gender, sexual orientation or expression, religion (creed), political affiliation citizenship status, age 40 and over, size, genetic information, martial status or military status or any other status protected by state or local law.

More Information

References: List three people who can serve as a character reference for you. Only one can be related to you.

Name: _______________________________________________________________________________

City: ______________________ State:__________ Phone: _____________________________________

Relationship: __________________________________________________________________________

Name: _______________________________________________________________________________

City: ______________________ State:__________ Phone: _____________________________________

Relationship: __________________________________________________________________________

Name: _______________________________________________________________________________

City: ______________________ State:__________ Phone: _____________________________________

Relationship: __________________________________________________________________________

Age Category (Please check one): 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60 61-70 Over 70

Do you have children? Yes NoSon(s) Age(s) Daughter(s) Age(s)

Do you speak a foreign language? Yes No Which: ___________________________

How did you find out about AYO Mentoring Program?

Aurora Mental Health Center Church Word of Mouth

AYO Website Facebook.com Meetup.com Craigslist.com

Flyer Other ________________________

Aurora Mental Health Center and Aurora Youth Options reserves the right to accept or decline volunteers based on the information gathered. For reasons of confidentiality Aurora Mental Health Center and Aurora Youth Options will not share this information or reasons of denial with any applicant. By signing this application I certify that the information I have supplied is correct to the best of my knowledge. I give my permission to contact the references provided and to complete a background check.

Matching InformationMatches are based on personality, interests and commitment. It is obvious that the people we feel comfortable around are those we feel we have a connection with. People that we feel we have a connection with are the same people we naturally form and develop a bond with. For this reason we ask all mentors and mentees to complete a personality match. Every effort is made to match you with a mentor that may have similar interest and personality traits.

Some matches are better for different people for different reasons, even if they are of the same personality type. It is important to remember that all relationships take effort and commitment.

Matching Information

Personality: Take the simple “Word Clusters” assessment to get your “True Colors” personality type, located on the next page.

Work Experience: Please write or list a brief history of your work experience.

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Volunteer Work Experience: Please write or list a brief history of your volunteer experience.________________________________________________________________

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Interests: List any special interests, skills or hobbies you have.

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Besides home, work and school where do you spend most of your time?

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List two things you have not yet achieved or done, that you would like to in this lifetime.

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Directions: For each row, order the four word clusters from 1 to 4, with 1 being least like you, and 4 being most like you. Each number can only be used once per row. Then add up the columns to get your totals.