Increasing your mentoring footprint In recent years we have come to understand, or at least be more conscious of what we now call our 'carbon footprint'. So how about our 'mentoring footprint'? Have we considered that we leave a mentoring footprint? Where should we look for it? At work, home, extended family, our local sports club, friends, our next door neighbours? Be assured that even if we are not conscious of it, we do leave a mentoring footprint; sometimes positive and sometimes not so positive. Young men and boys in particular can benefit from supportive male mentors. Menslink is a unique organisation that utilises male mentors to work with boys who have limited contact with positive male role models. As boys move through adolescence, mentors can play a vital role in helping boys grow into young adults. At this age, boys are becoming aware of their identity and who they might want to be in the world, so they are often watching and observing men who might impress them simply by the way they go about life. Many of the young men referred to Menslink have an unhelpful combination of a shortage of positive male influences and an oversupply of unhealthy peer role modelling. This can lead to issues such as disconnection from the family, difficulties at school and a lack of confidence and success in their lives. Mentoring can literally change the life of a young man and in turn the whole family he belongs to. If you are interested in becoming a mentor and making a difference in your community, contact Menslink and join one of the most unique mentoring programs in Australia - Mentoring Young Men. Call Menslink in Canberra on 6239 4699 or visit www.menslink.org.au |
