Young people are more likely to reach their education, career, and life goals when they are surrounded by a web of supportive relationships that provide access to opportunities and resources.
This web of support is called social capital, and it is a critical element in young people’s positive development. Search Institute defines social capital as the resources that arise from a web of developmental relationships, which youth can access and use to pursue their goals.
Previous research on social capital shows that young people with higher levels of social capital tend to report greater progress toward education and career goals, more of a commitment to paying it forward to others, and a greater sense of collective efficacy to change education and employment systems to be more equitable.
Mentors may be well-positioned to support youth social capital. Mentors can be important connections for young people as they learn about themselves and the world around them.
The Positioning Mentors as Social Capital Builders report examines the role of adult mentors in supporting young people’s social capital development. The project is ongoing, and findings from the first phase of the project provide a snapshot of the experiences of young people and mentors in three Big Brothers Big Sisters agency partner sites.
The Positioning Mentors as Social Capital Builders project is helping us deepen our understanding of the ways in which high-quality developmental relationships with adult mentors can contribute to youth social capital.
One way mentors can support young people’s social capital is by forming developmental relationships. To build these strong relationships, mentors can engage in actions and practices that align with five critical elements. These are the five elements that make up Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework.
When we asked young people in the Positioning Mentors as Social Capital Builders project about their experiences with mentors, a high percentage of them (77%–86%) reported that they often or almost always experienced the five elements of a developmental relationship with their mentor.
“I think the biggest thing for me is keeping the trust with him. Because the more I can build that trust with him, the more open he is to sharing things that are going on in his life.” - Shared by Big of BBBS South Texas
Mentors and youth were asked what a positive mentoring relationship looked like. In addition to the five elements of a developmental relationship, these conversations revealed four actions that mentors and mentees can take to build strong relationships.
“I get to practice my Spanish with my mentor, which I think is really cool. It’s really comforting to be able to speak with my mentor in Spanish sometimes because we practice with each other, because she's trying to learn it, and I'm trying to get the language back. I think that that's really cool.” - Shared by Little of BBBS LA
Mentors can also build strong mentoring relationships by supporting the racial-ethnic and cultural identity of their mentee... In fact, youth who report receiving higher levels of support from their mentors for their racial-ethnic and cultural identity tend to also report stronger developmental relationships with their mentors and a more positive racial-ethnic identity.
Mentors and youth also shared some actions that mentors can take to further support youth’s racial-ethnic and cultural identity:
High-quality relationships with caring adult mentors are an important strand in the web of developmental relationships that help young people learn who they are and pursue their academic, career, and life goals.
Mentors are positioned to support young people’s social capital development by nurturing their confidence, providing opportunities for them to practice relational skills, investing in relationships with people already in their web of support (e.g., family members), and helping to facilitate new connections and opportunities as they pursue their life goals.
