The Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring offers a truly distinctive educational opportunity for experienced mentoring professionals.

• An intensive week-long seminar presenting the latest developments in theory and research on youth mentoring.
• Sessions led by prominent, nationally recognized research fellows.
• Ample time for participants to think critically and creatively about their own program issues and explore opportunities for innovation.
• A sustained dialogue between experienced professionals and researchers.

Fellows

Research fellows are selected to serve as Summer Institute seminar instructors on the basis of their expertise. Each fellow is a nationally recognized scholar who has made an important contribution to the literature on youth mentoring. Fellows attend the sessions of colleagues and contribute their insights to the discussions. To see list of fellows, click here.

Participants

To encourage an active exchange among professional peers and with researchers, the Summer Institute seminar is limited to 25 participants. Ideal participants are those who have several years of experience in the field of youth development and are seeking an advanced level of professional development. They are experienced professionals who hold positions enabling them to influence the training and supervision of staff, the development of program models, and the implementation of service delivery changes based on the latest advances in the field (e.g., executive directors, program directors). Tuition for the week-long seminar is $725. Scholarships are available. 

Community events

Mentoring professionals and other interested members of the local community are invited attend a panel discussion and reception featuring the research fellows. The event is free to the public and will be held the evening of Monday, July 28, 2008. Save the date! More details available soon.

Projects

In addition to presenting the Institute seminar, the research fellows are in residence at Portland State University for a second week. In the second week, fellows focus on scholarly projects with opportunities for discussion and collaboration with colleagues. Expectations for the scholarly work to result from the fellowship are discussed when fellows are selected. To see examples of resulting projects and publications, click here.

Partners

Several national organizations that advocate for youth mentoring and/or offer training and technical assistance for the field are valued supporters of the Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring. Key representatives of these organizations emphasizing the bridge between research and practice attend the seminar and give brief presentations regarding their services and research-related initiatives. See the list of supportive organizations here.

Sponsors

We appreciate and gratefully acknowledge the foundations and individual donors that have made grants and financial contributions in support of the Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring. The Institute owes its existence to their generous investments and scholarships. See the list of sponsors here.

Testimonials

The Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring has received a tremendously enthusiastic response from participants. See their comments, click here.