Request a Mentor FAQs

Mentors commit to spending four or more hours per month with their mentees. Ideally, mentors and mentees will meet at least twice monthly.

Mentors and mentees explore interesting activities that fall into five categories:

• Building a friendship
• Having fun
• Skill building and educational development
• Spiritual wholeness
• Community service  

There is no cost to you.  Mentoring Tucson’s Kids is a 501©3 nonprofit, supported by friends of the program.  Mentors budget a modest amount to cover monthly activity costs.  However, if you have the means, contributing to your child’s activity costs is greatly appreciated as the Mentors are volunteers and not paid. Depending on your child’s interest, they might go horseback riding or hiking.  Perhaps your child’s mentor will take time to teach a new skill like woodworking or car maintenance.  Often the activities are simple in nature, like a bike ride on a sunny afternoon or playing catch at the park. Sometimes mentors assist their kids with homework.  Mentors often invite their young friends to church activities.  The match also participates together in community service.  A mentor’s goal is to expose his or her mentee to new possibilities that encourage personal growth.

Mentoring Tucson’s Kids mentors undergo rigorous screening that includes mentor training, a lengthy application, a thorough personal interview, four references, and a complete criminal background check.  Mentoring Tucson’s Kids’ number one priority is your child’s safety.  If at anytime you feel uncomfortable or concerned about the mentor, you are urged to contact your mentor coordinator immediately.

In addition to ongoing match support, Mentoring Tucson’s Kids provides a variety of fun group activities: horseback riding, fishing trip, college and professional sports events and theatre tickets.

Your mentor coordinator will work diligently to provide the best possible mentor for your child.  Location, mutual interests, and personality types are considered in this process.  It may take a few weeks before the friendship stabilizes so it’s in everyone’s best interest to be patient and give the relationship time to grow.  However, if after a reasonable length of time your child is not connecting with his or her mentor, the mentor coordinator will meet with you to determine the best course of action.

The mentor coordinator is there to oversee the relationship and render assistance whenever needed and should be contacted if any concerns should arise.

Your mentor coordinator will meet with the match to discuss future options.  If both parties are interested, the match may continue indefinitely until the mentee turns 18.

The mentor is strictly a friend to your child.  They guide by example and unconditional love.  They’re not equipped to provide counseling or other professional services to the child or to the child’s family.  Should a need develop, your mentor coordinator will make appropriate referrals.