This document provides an overview of the concept of mentoring, this time applied to the area of dropout prevention. It begins by describing the functions and characteristics of a mentor, considering the use of mentors with at-risk youth, and examining the roles of a mentor in dropout prevention. Suggestions are given for setting up a mentoring…

This article provides step-by-step guidelines for developing a mentoring program for students with disabilities. The benefits of mentoring, role of the mentor, mentor screening, and program development are discussed. Suggested mentor and student activities are outlined, including communication, reading, leisure, and academic activities. (Contains…

This handbook assesses the tasks of school leaders in developing a successful mentoring program in their schools. Information is provided on: (1) identifying essential components of effective mentoring programs; (2) responsibilities of the building principal, mentors, and beginning teachers; (3) funding arrangements, including alternatives to…

This digest explores the concept of mentoring with gifted students and offers guidelines on its implementation. The literature on mentoring is reviewed, noting the maturing effect of mentor relationships and the particular value of mentors for disadvantaged students and for females. Among six guidelines offered are: decide what (not whom) the…

The Chicago Careers for Youth Program facilitates visits by persons working in various career clusters to classrooms to explain their jobs and the qualifications for them. The visitors serve as role models for the youth with whom they interact. The program is based on 16 career clusters that were defined by several hundred persons with careers in…

Addresses difficulties in the mentoring relationship, especially of African-American youth. Suggests ways to avoid the risks of "drive-by" mentoring, notes the problem of social distance between mentors and students being mentored, identifies characteristics of ideal mentors, offers guidelines for providing necessary program structure…

Character education builds community by establishing a set of core values that match a school's ideals. Character-education proponents should inspire teachers to discuss ethics in their daily activities and model transformational/transactional leadership styles. Leaders must know their environment, formalize an infrastructure, involve others, and…

A description is given of the training and inservice plan for Westmoreland County Public Schools (Virginia) which focused on the personal and professional needs of teachers and the issues of the at-risk student population with which they work. A staff self-esteem workshop was developed which focused on the need for persons to care for themselves…

This study describes the effects of a pairing induction program of 15 first-year teachers and 15 mentors in a collegial relationship. The site of the study was a school district chosen because of its unusually high teacher turnover, the cultural diversity of the students, and the large number of beginning teachers on school faculties. The program…

Describes a program developed to address barriers that prevent women from participating in hunting and fishing, and to give participants opportunities to learn outdoor skills in a nonthreatening environment. Over 600 women participated in 6 outdoor skill clinics in Wisconsin, Nebraska, Oregon, and Texas. Overviews marketing strategies related to…

For camps to be successful, management should empower camp staff to be heroes (leaders). This is based on three rules: campers look for heroes; heroes build successful camps; and successful directors build heroes. Being a hero implies being the best one can be and always attempting to improve the example communicated to others. (LP)

The speakers' bureau, one component of the Human Resources School's career development program for physically disabled children in grades 4 through 12 is described, and information and materials for program development, implementation, and evaluation are presented. In addition, the use of speakers' bureaus both outside of career education programs…

The paper reviews the historical and cultural attitudes of Ethiopians toward blind children, the education of blind children, the special situation of orphaned blind children, limitations of existing educational models, and development of a new model that relies on elements of community-based rehabilitation and the employment of blind high school…

Psychological research has demonstrated that violence is learned, and it has identified some factors that put children at risk of perpetrating or being victimized by violence. Because aggression is often learned at an early age, prevention programs that start early in childhood and continue throughout adolescence have the best chance for success.…

An intergenerational project trained older adult volunteers from a small South Carolina community to teach vocational skills to students at a residential school for at-risk youth. Volunteers helped students with production and marketing of goods and services for six school-based companies. Benefits include enhanced sense of community for…