Named for Mel Swann, Jr., retired deputy superintendent of the Guilford County Schools, the MEL Corp mentoring program matches trained adult volunteers with adolescents. The mentor provides a positive role model, which guides adolescents toward positive life experiences and outcomes. Mentors commit to meet their protégé for a minimum of five hours per month to engage in enriching activities.


What Is Mentoring?


Mentoring is a one-to-one relationship, over a prolonged period of time, between a youth and an older person who provides consistent support, guidance, and concrete help as the younger person goes through a difficult or challenging situations or periods of life. The goal of mentoring is to help the younger person gain skills and confidence to be responsible for their future with an increasing emphasis on academics, occupational skills, and career guidance.

Mentoring is an act of community building. It requires believing in and caring about young people, their future, and ours.

Mentoring is the process of sharing personal knowledge, life possibilities, and skills with a young person. It requires helping young people achieve educational or career objectives. By helping, you can enhance young people's awareness of and belief in their own potential.


Mentor Job Description:


1. Insure the safety and welfare of your student/mentee

2. Serve as positive role model for your student/mentee

3. Educate your student/mentee about his/her cultural background

4. Spend a minimum of five hours a month with some form of weekly contact with your student/mentee

5. Attend the mandatory training session provided by Black Child Development Institute of Greensboro, Inc.

6. Attend follow up sessions.