Kansas Mentors

Kansas Mentors: Better communities.Bigger dreams. Brighter futures.

Effective Programs
Best Practices & Kansas Mentors' Gold Star Program
Definition of Mentoring
Kansas Mentors’ Council of Mentors, composed of experts in faith, school and community-based mentoring programs from across the state, established the following definition:

Mentoring is a consistent, structured, stable relationship between youth and a caring role model(s) that:
    - Involves regular, ongoing, and ideally face-to-face meetings; and
    - Is focused on developing the character, capabilities and confidence of the young person(s).

Elements of Effective Practice
Kansas Mentors strongly endorses the Elements of Effective Practice™ created by MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership, which were developed by mentoring experts from across the nation and urges all mentoring programs to follow these practices. There are four key components:
  • Program Design and Planning: This element provides a comprehensive strategy for how to start an effective mentoring program.
  • Program Management: This element involves developing a finance plan and the managerial practices needed to help ensure the program is well-managed.
  • Program Operations: This element focuses on recruitment, screening, training, and matching practices, which are beneficial to maintaining standards for safe and effective mentoring.
  • Program Evaluation: This element gives guidance for establishing program quality and effectiveness.
MENTOR's How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program using the Elements of Effective Practice™ (including an editable toolkit) is available to download here.

Kansas Mentors' Gold Star Program
The Kansas Mentors Gold Star program was developed in an effort to provide a safe and effective mentoring environment for the youth of Kansas.  This program recognizes mentoring partners across the state who have committed to maintaining a basic set of standards that ensure a quality mentoring experience.  Developed by the Kansas Mentors Council of Mentors, these standards reflect guidelines set forth in MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership’s Elements of Effective Practice™ and the Council's definition of mentoring.  Click here to learn more about the Gold Star Program.


Research & Resources
NEW! Overview of Records Checks: Knowing what type(s) of check a program should use when screening mentors can be overwhelming; here is a handy sheet that provides a summary of the various types of local, state and federal checks available.

MENTOR's How to Build a Successful Mentoring Program Toolkit:  A great resource for developing and experienced programs that offers essential guidelines for programs to develop, maintain and sustain all aspects of program operations.

MENTOR's Resource Center: Users can search a wide array of topic areas including resources for programs, mentors and mentees.

Corporation for National & Community Service's Resource Center: A variety of interactive resources and publications for the service community. 

U.S. Department of Education's Mentoring Resource Center: A project funded by a contract of the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools, providing resources on a variety of mentoring areas.

The National Mentoring Center: Developed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, this organization offers training, resources, and online information services to the entire mentoring field.

Click here for an overview of resources available specifically for mentors.

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