Thanks for your interest in becoming a mentor.

Our mentors are at least 21 years of age and have a desire to make a difference in the life of a young person. Several of our mentors are retired individuals, some are parents whose own kids have grown up and some are young singles. There is no typical Spectrum mentor.

We ask that our mentors commit to at least a one-year match and that they are prepared to meet with the youth for approximately one hour each week. We require that the mentor document the time that they spend with their match and provide this to the program on a monthly basis. We do not require any financial commitment.

The youth we match with mentors are referred from other Spectrum programs or from the Burlington School District. They are at least 11 years old. We receive the majority of our referrals from Student Assistant Counselors (SAPs) in area schools, Spectrum's Counseling Program, and our Juvenile Justice Program. We carefully screen each of the youth prior to accepting them into the program to ensure that they are enthusiastic to have a mentor and ready for a one-year commitment. We meet with the youth's parents/guardians to explain our program and what they can expect if their child is matched with a mentor.

We provide our mentors with an initial training prior to matching them, but don't require any other special skills. As a member of the Chittenden County Mentoring Network, our program participates in various trainings throughout the year and our mentors are always welcome to attend.

Once you contact us to inquire about becoming a mentor, we will:

	Send you an Information packet
	Conduct an in-person interview
	Perform background and reference checks.
	Notify you of your acceptance to the Program.
	Facilitate an initial mentor training session.
	Match you with an area youth.
	Help you begin your mentoring relationship!
	Provide ongoing training and support.