Education has taken center stage
in recent years as politicians and the media take on such issues as student performance, teacher accountability,
and high-stakes testing. However,
hidden in all of these very public
debates are the individual lives of
children and young adults as they
struggle to make meaning of their
own educational experiences in the context of their homes, communities,

and the larger world in which we all live.

Providing students with regular access to a caring
adult can often help them develop a sense of the possibilities
available to them beyond a school's walls. One report that described
results from multiple studies of 10 youth mentoring programs concluded:

[Sustained, in-person] mentoring programs can be effective tools
for enhancing the positive development of youth. Mentored youth
are likely to have fewer absences from school, better attitudes
toward school, fewer incidents of hitting others, less drug and
alcohol use, more positive attitudes toward their elders and
toward helping in general, and improved relationships with
their parents. *

This powerful statement clearly identifies the multiple impacts an adult can have on the life
of a single student. However, for many adults,
the possibility of providing long-term in-person mentoring to a student is not a reality. Work schedules, including regular travel; family obligations; and geographic distance are just some of the significant obstacles preventing widespread mentoring of students in school.

Are there viable alternatives?

Educators and researchers have been considering this question and have joined with IBM in undertaking a growing but still novel approach to mentoring that takes advantage of both new technologies and schools' newly acquired access to the Internet. This approach-known as telementoring, or e-mentoring-attempts to bring students and caring adults into regular contact through online communication. It allows increasing numbers of mentors to participate in relationships with students despite time and geographic barriers. It also allows students to engage in discussions with caring adults who express interest in their activities, ideas, and concerns, who can help them with their academic work, and who can provide a window into the world of work, life, and ideas beyond a school or community.

Adults who participate in IBM MentorPlace are taking part in an effort that has
shown promise in addressing students' sense of isolation, career awareness,
and understanding of academic options after high school. **

Join us in continuing to explore the opportunities that new technology can afford in the lives of students, and become an active e-mentor!

    * Jekiele, S. M., Moore, K. A., Hair, E. C., and Scarupa, H. J. (Feb., 2002) Mentoring:
      A Promising Strategy for Youth Development. Child Trends: Research Brief. Washington, DC.

    ** Bennett, D., Tsikalas, K., Hupert, N., Meade, T., and Honey, M. (1998). The Benefits of
       Online Mentoring for High School Girls. Telementoring Young Women in Science, Engineering
       and Computing Project, Year 3 Evaluation. New York: Center for Children and Technology,
       Education Development Center, Inc.