Collaborative Mentoring Webinar Series. Going the Distance: New Insights on Mentor Retention

Transcription

1 Going the Distance: New Insights on Mentor Retention April 17, 2014

2 2014 Planning Team

3 Good to Know After the webinar, all attendees receive: Instructions for how to access PDF of presentation slides and webinar recording Link to the webpage, where all slides, recordings, and resources are posted. Please help us out by answering survey questions at the end of the webinar.

4 Participate in Today s Webinar All attendees muted for best sound Type questions and comments in the question box Respond to polls Who is with us today?

5 Today s Webinar Mentor Retention: An Overview Research Findings Molly Frendo, University of Minnesota Extension Practice Recommendations and Case Examples Amy Pomeranz Essley, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana Steve Gibson, Project Leadership Q & A throughout the presentation (use the Q & A panel)

6 Mentor Retention: An Overview Practice and Programmatic Considerations Section: Mentor Recruitment and Retention Authors: Arthur Stukas E. Gil Clary Mark Snyder

7 Practice Recommendations For mentoring programs and staff: Use orientation and training sessions to guide mentors to activities known to predict positive outcomes Encourage mentors to identify with the program and build a sense of community as a way to encourage pride and commitment

8 Practice Recommendations (cont.) Offer sufficient support to mentors to allow them to feel respected by the program and the staff Evaluate and ensure that mentors own needs and goals are satisfied by mentoring, as well as any other activities that the program offers to support mentors and their relationships

9 Molly Frendo State Program Director, University of Minnesota Extension Center for Youth Development Molly Frendo began her career as a statewide AmeriCorps program director at Michigan State University Extension supporting national service members who ran youth mentoring programs. Currently, she provides leadership to the statewide volunteer systems team for the University of Minnesota Extension's Center for Youth Development. Molly serves as the co-chair of the Extension Volunteer Administration community of practice and was a lead author of the recently published the Ready to Go: Mentor Training Toolkit curriculum.

10 Self-Determination Theory Competence Ability and effectiveness Desire to learn for the sake of mastery Autonomy Determine one s own behavior Self-expression, personal initiative, agency Relatedness Sense of connection and community Caring and being cared for by others

11 New friends Strong external bonds Positive relationships Why relatedness? Social network of volunteers Teamwork Collaborative problem solving

12 Virtual Volunteer Community Discussion boards Resources Learning modules Reporting

13 Asynchronous Discussion Boards Learning Modules and Assessments Communication and Support Development of Knowledge and Skills Curated Folders with Materials by Topic Access to Research-Based Resources Logistics Related to Volunteer Experience Calendar, Reporting, and Archived Announcements

14 Previously considered too impersonal Can provide a sense of belonging Offer support Provide information Available 24/7 Easily accessible What is the role of online communities in providing social support?

15 What are the Numbers: How Adults (and Volunteers) Use Technology 67% of adults belong to an online social network Nearly half of American adults own a smart phone; 20% own a tablet Smart phone owners between years old send an average of 67 texts per day 35% of adults have used our phones to solve a problem, and 27% of us have used them to get information to help us settle a dispute Nearly 75% of adults volunteer and those who use social media are more likely to volunteer

16 Overview of Study Participation 4-H AmeriCorps Virtual Community Performance Evaluation Purpose of Interactions

17 Participation in Online Community Posting 80% posted 8 or fewer discussions Reading 25% read 50 or fewer discussions 20% created posts 55% read discussions Mean of active group is 37 posts 20% read between discussions

18 Motivation waxes and wanes for all of us, especially in the world of mentoring. Though I love the children and the cause [ ] I see the struggles that we face to recruit volunteers and keep the lights on at the office. During my time in AmeriCorps, I have learned more about what it means to be humble. And I continue to grow personally and professionally because of my volunteer experience. I know great things are going on around me, and I wonder if I am overlooking some stories that would be encouraging to others.

19 Conclusions More people read than post

20 Implications for Practitioners Don t do it alone Engage key volunteers Make it a one-stopshop Streamline! Start at the beginning if possible

21 Amy Pomeranz Essley Chief Program Officer, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana (BBBSCI) Prior to serving as the Chief Program Officer, Amy held the roles of Director of Program Performance and Support, Director of Quality Assurance and the Director of Site-based Programs at BBBSCI. Before joining BBBSCI in 2002, Amy was employed at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Department of Disability and Human Development as a Program Coordinator managing a federal grant project.

22 BBBSCI Mission is to provide children facing adversity with strong and enduring, professionally supported 1-to-1 relationships that change their lives for the better, forever.

23 Accountability Statement We partner with parents/guardians, volunteers, schools, donors and others in the community to be accountable for helping youth in our program achieve: Higher aspirations, greater confidence, and better relationships Educational success Avoidance of risky behaviors

24 What is 6 Sigma? The goal of a Six Sigma process is to minimize variation and non-value added activities to better achieve your target or customer requirements. For BBBSCI, our project is geared at improving our process to get more matches to/beyond the 12 month mark in their relationship to create significant positive outcomes in youth. prevent potentially harmful impacts to youth. enable quality growth in total matches year to year. reduce churn & more efficiently utilize dollars.

25 What is 12 Month Match Retention? The 12 month match (match = Big & Little relationship) retention rate is the % of matches that stay together through the first 12 months of the relationship. Example: If we make 100 matches and 50 of them are still open on their one-year anniversary, we would have a 50% 12 month retention rate. 7/1/2012 7/1/ new matches made on 7/1/ matches close between 0-12 mos. At 12 month mark (7/1/2013), 50 matches are still open = 50% 12 month retention rate.

26 Why focus on 12 month match retention? 1) Quality & Youth Outcomes 2) Impact on Youth 0 mos. 6 mos. 12 mos. Negative impact Slight positive impact Significant positive impact global self-worth perceived scholastic competence alcohol use perceived scholastic competence skipping school global self-worth perceived scholastic competence perceived social acceptance parental relationship quality school value skipping school drug & alcohol use

27 Why 12 Month Retention Rate? Growth Keeping relationships together longer not only helps assure the quality of the program it enables growth in overall number of youth served Cost First year is most expensive (cost to recruit, screen, train, and provide monthly support vs. cost to provide quarterly support to matches that last 12+ months)

28 Not Statistically Significant Factors for 12 Month Retention Single Factors: Child Age at Start of Match (8-14) Volunteer Age at Start of Match (21+) Child Race/Ethnicity Volunteer Race/Ethnicity Child County of Residence Volunteer County of Residence Child Impacted by Incarceration Child Living in Poverty Volunteer Marital Status Combined Factors: Child Age & Volunteer Age Child Race/ Ethnicity & Volunteer Race/Ethnicity Child County of Residence & Volunteer County of Residence

29 Statistically Significant Factors Statistical analysis showed that Gender Female Matches are more likely to close under 12 months. Child Living Situation Other Guardian/Other Relative (not including Grandparent) households are more likely to close under 12 mos. One Parent Female household with Female Match are more likely to close under 12 mos. One Parent Male and Two Parent households are more likely to last over 12 mos. Program Type Site-based matches are more likely to close under 12 months. (Original design of Site-based mentoring was a 9 month program.)

30 Improving Match Retention Requirements for Improving Match Retention (Critical X s) Overarching Theme Statement: Matches need relationship-focused processes and support from the agency. Bigs need to be made aware and prepared for potential challenges and then better supported on how to react to common situations and master the emotional aspect of the relationship with the Little. Bigs need to be made aware and prepared for potential challenges and then better supported on how to react to common situations and master the emotional aspect of the relationship with the parent/family. Bigs need support in identifying, organizing, and communicating low/no cost, relationship-building, relevant activities that are anchored in a comprehensive youth/match development plan. The agency needs to develop a strategy for connecting Bigs to schools and teachers to drive academic outcomes and maintain match relationships.

31 Relationship Model Improvements Defined Preparation For Relationship Building New Relationship Growing With Relationship Maintaining the Relationship Improve Mentor Training Session for Big Implement Parent as Partners philosophy with an orientation for Parents Provide more detailed information to Big regarding family dynamics & Little Provide applicants a process flowchart of what to expect regarding what information they will receive and when Create and provide FAQ guide for new Bigs Update onboarding for new staff to emphasize relationships Define and document key processes for staff including best practices Create metrics that drive behavior so that all staff own the relationship Create roles and responsibilities for a successful relationship for each member of the relationship Complete match introductions in the Little/family home Review roles & responsibilities information together for each role and discuss importance during introduction After home introduction, debrief with Big on emotional aspect of the meeting and/or family dynamics Offer group activities designed for building new relationships, including the parents occasionally Maintain the same Match Support Specialist After 3 month survey, meet with Big s (who score < 3.95) to discuss results and challenges in more detail Create common Situational Responses for Bigs: To be aware To know how to respond To cope with the emotion Move forward with the relationship Develop faltering relationship process Improve communication of and offer more fun & relevant agency sponsored activities that are low cost Create Top Ten list of what Bigs need to be reminded of frequently Create standard for handling transience Adjust relationship expectations with teenage Littles. Develop partnerships with school system to help mentor with academic outcomes and offer backup plan for family dynamics that are too difficult

32 Improvement Spotlight: Parents as Partners & In-Home Match Introductions Parent or Guardian Big Little Match Support Specialist

33 12 Month Retention Rate 12 Month Match Retention Results Goal National Average Year Matches Were Made

34 Building Community Within Mentors Activities with other matches Agency sponsored and on their own Bigs only events Social Sharing Engaging Bigs in other parts of the agency Fundraising events, recruitment, etc.

35 Big Brothers Big Sisters Outcome Evaluation System Length + Strength = Outcomes Phase 1: Six Sigma Retention Project Phase 2: Six Sigma Match Intentionality Project

36 What Can Other Agencies Do? Start measuring retention Determine if retention varies by any basic criteria Gender Age of Little or Big Family Living Situation Get insight into your volunteers What challenges are they having? What is working well?

37 Partners and Supporters The following are our partners who have supported the development and implementation of this project:

38 Steve Gibson Education Liaison, Project Leadership Steve is a graduate of Ball State University, where he earned a bachelor s degree in English. Before joining Project Leadership in 2008, he worked in Marion Community Schools as a literacy specialist. Steve manages the Project Leadership mentoring program, as well as serving as the primary content and special projects developer to design knowledgeable, quality programming that reflects recent research and industry best practices.

39 Project Leadership Mission PARTNER WITH Low-income families TO PROVIDE College access THROUGH CUSTOMIZED Student support TO ACHIEVE Degree completion

40 Program Tiers 1 MIDDLE SCHOOL Students recruited into state program that helps them pay for college. 2 3 HIGH SCHOOL Students become Scholars and are matched in a 1-1 school- and community-based mentoring model. BRIDGE PS bridge program begins in senior year through 3-lab series: 1) College application 2) Scholarship 3) FAFSA. HS grads participate in 1-day college prep summer program. 4 POST-SECONDARY Students continue to be supported through 1-1 mentoring program & PL support staff.

41 Discoveries MENTEE SELECTION Mentor retention begins with mentee recruitment. THE MATCH It is better to place a student mentee on a short waiting list until a strong mentor match can be found than force a match using an alreadyrecruited volunteer. PERSISTENCE The lessons in persistence and GRIT that we emphasize to our mentees to help them be successful must first begin with our mentors. TROUBLESHOOTING A mentor is not considered fully recruited into the mentoring program until after the third mentor-mentee meeting.

42 Mentors Teach Us IT S ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIPS The strength of the relationship is the key indicator in successful mentor and match retention. TO CHOOSE MOMENTS OF FLEXIBILITY Project Leadership s model has evolved into a blend of school- and communitybased mentoring through mentor feedback. TRAINING INCREASES MENTORS ODDS Mentors who perceive they are successful stay with their students. That success is impacted by mentor training. TO BE CONTINUALLY CURIOUS Annual surveys and postsecondary partnership assist in retention research.

43 Practices We Live By TRACKING MATCH PROGRESS A digital mentoring database identifies retention red flags in time for intervention. COMMUNITY RECOGNITION FOR MENTOR EFFORTS Bi-weekly media coverage celebrates local community volunteers and the students they mentor. A mentor s years of service is recognized at an annual community celebration. EVENTS BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH PL Project Leadership events, such as college access labs, engage mentors beyond the one-on-one meetings and help program staff build relationships with mentors.

44 Placemaking Source: Dr. Katherine Loftin 1 SOCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE 2 AESTHETICS 3 OPENNESS Community attachment IMPROVED LOCAL COMMUNIT Y

45 Additional Resources Text Messages: Helping Volunteer Managers Be Successful, Molly Frendo _be_successful Engaging Volunteers Through Social Media, Molly Frendo Examining Commitment and Relational Maintenance in Formal Youth Mentoring Relationships, Patricia E. Gettings and Steven R. Wilson Frendo, M. (2013). Self-determination theory: A framework for understanding volunteer motivation and retention. International Journal of Volunteer Administration XXIX (3), 4-12.

46 Remember After the webinar: Please help us out by answering survey questions at the end of the webinar. Everyone will get an with information on how to download the slides, recording, and resources on the CMWS webpage on the MENTOR website: opportunities/collaborative_mentoring_webinar_series/

47 Access CMWS Information All information for upcoming and past webinars is on the new CMWS webpage on the MENTOR website:

48 Join Us Next Month Family Involvement in Mentoring Programs Thursday, May 15, :15 pm Eastern