Youth mentoring is one of the most popular forms of volunteering in the world today, but does it work? Drawing on over 30 years of research and her own experience in the field, Jean Rhodes reveals that most mentoring programs fail to deliver what young people actually need. Many prioritize building emotional bonds between mentors and mentees. But research shows that effective programs go far beyond this, developing specific social, emotional, and intellectual skills.

Most mentoring programs rely on volunteers, who rarely have the training to teach these skills. Their one-size-fits-all models struggle to meet the diverse needs of mentees, and rarely take account of the psychological effects of poverty on children. Rhodes doesn’t think we should give up on mentoring—far from it. Instead, she recommends “organic” mentorship opportunities—in schools, youth sports leagues, and community organizations—and shares specific approaches that can spark meaningful change in young people’s lives.

The book is published by Harvard University Press. The audiobook is published by University Press Audiobooks.

“Lays the foundations for an approach to mentoring that is both rigorous and rich in new ideas.” (Robert D. Putnam, author of Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis)

“A powerful assessment of what is needed to best help young people today.” (Pam Iorio, President and CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America)

“Accessible to scholars, practitioners, students, parents, and other caregivers, this book will quickly be seen as a classic.” (Richard M. Lerner, Director, Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University)