Eskolta Project: Mentor Momentum

Mentor Momentum:

Revving Up Connections

Carina Sanchez, Mustafa Mabrook, Noely Garcia Rangel, Sophia Fernandez, Yair Navarro, Patrick Sim, Alexa Fitton

Background

Students transferring to a new school often:

Come from difficult situations

Lack the sense of belonging; disconnected

Feel Lost, confused, and "not smart enough

Tension System

Restraining Forces

Good

(i.e. taxes; punishments)

The transfer school resulted from a broken system

Not connecting to the transfer school

Discouraging course work

Receiving support from peers/mentors, or teachers

Enjoys spending time with their friends at school

Wanting to succeed in school

Bad

Promoting Forces

(i.e. motivating factors; subsidies; rewards)

Intervention Process Model

Without intervention:

Situation: Students from various backgrounds are put into a transfer school.

Thought/Feeling: Students don’t connect with the transfer school community and feel like they don’t belong.

Behavior/Outcome: Attendance rates drop at transfer schools.

With intervention:

Changed thought or feeling: Transfer students become a part of the school community, gaining support and reducing loneliness.

Changed behavior/outcome: Higher attendance rates and more engagement between students.

Belonging Intervention: Mentor/Mentee Program, connect seniors to transfer students

Intervention: Mentor/Mentee Program

Recognition and Rewards

Measuremet of Intervention

Group Activities

Mentor Student Pairing

Mentor Training

Check-ins

Removing the Taxes

Psychological Taxes

• Mentors help students form social connections
• Peer support shows that challenges can be overcome
• Regular check-ins provide emotional support
• Mentor connects schoolwork to personal goals and future success

• Isolation and disconnection
• Self-doubt
• Increased stress
• Lack of purpose

Application of Psychology

VS

Measurement

Qualitative

Quantitative

• Student Reflection: Analyzing the thoughts and feelings of students.

• Attendance rate: Attending class or being absent.

• Teacher Portfolio Reviews: Assessing student progress and development by collecting their work.

• Student’s participation: How often it participates in class and is involved in activities.

• Behavioral Observations

Mentee/transfer student:

Mentor

• Belonging
• Involved in school
• New connections
• Reduced loneliness

• Relatedness
• Belongingness
• Leadership Development
• Organization Skills

Benefits

VS

Citations

• Dopp, J., & Block, T. (2004). High School Peer Mentoring That Works! TEACHING Exceptional Children, 37(1), 56-62. https://doi.org/10.1177/004005990403700107.
• Gunn, F., Lee, S. H. (Mark), & Steed, M. (2016). Student Perceptions of Benefits and Challenges of Peer Mentoring Programs: Divergent Perspectives From Mentors and Mentees. Marketing Education Review, 27(1), 15–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2016.1255560.
• Lapon, E. and Buddington, L. (2024), "The impact of peer mentoring in first-year education students", International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 73-87. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-01-2023-0002.
• Raymond, J. M., & Sheppard, K. (2017). Effects of peer mentoring on nursing students’ perceived stress, sense of belonging, self-efficacy and loneliness. Journal of Nursing Education and Practice, 8(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.5430/jnep.v8n1p16.
• Snowden, Michael and Hardy, Tracey (2012) Peer mentorship and positive effects on student mentor and mentee retention and academic success. Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, 14. pp. 76-92. ISSN 1466-6529

Thank You For Your Consideration!