Mentoring is a key tool to foster a more equitable and inclusive recovery.

Research has demonstrated that connections and safe, supportive, and nurturing relationships play an integral role in young people’s healthy development and resilience. The social isolation many of us experienced as a result of the pandemic provided us with first-hand experience of how critical relationships are for our mental health and well-being. Disconnected, we languish. 

In 2019, MENTOR Canada embarked upon an ambitious research project to increase our understanding of the importance of youth mentoring in Canadian society.

The State of Mentoring Research Initiative explored young people’s experiences with mentoring, adults’ experiences as mentors, and mentoring programs’ impact. For the first time, we have detailed information about the significance of mentoring relationships for thousands of young people across the country.

A robust body of international research has shown that mentoring can have a significant effect on a wide range of young people’s outcomes.

This is true for both natural or informal mentoring relationships as well as mentoring relationships that develop through formal programs. Our State of Mentoring research findings confirmed that access to mentors can have a positive effect in several areas of young people’s lives, including areas that were negatively impacted by the pandemic such as educational achievement, employment and career opportunities, as well as mental health and belonging. Mentoring is a powerful tool which can help youth fulfil their potential and increase opportunities at home, school, and in the workforce. It can help address many of the challenges engendered by the pandemic.

Over the next few weeks, MENTOR Canada will be sharing some key research findings that show how mentoring supports young people’s journeys toward healthy and productive adulthood in the post-pandemic world.

Follow our Impact of Mentoring Research Series to learn more about specific actions that individuals and organizations invested in supporting youth’s healthy development can take to address the gaps and barriers we identified through our research. Together we can help more young people access the supportive relationships they need to thrive.

Wanting to learn more about the State of Mentoring Research Initiative?

Click Here!

Did you ever wonder how many young people in your region had mentors growing up? How many did not have their needs for mentors met? Did you ever wonder what kept young people from accessing mentors in your region? Or did you ever ask yourself what proportion of adults in your region has mentored a young person? Or how many adults are likely to become mentors in the next 5 years?

Our interactive dashboards will help you quickly answer these questions and others. Explore them here: 

Access to Mentors Data Dashboard

Barriers to Accessing Mentors Data Dashboard

Adults who Mentor Data Dashboard