Why does searching "mentorship programs for teens" show the wrong thing?
That phrase mostly means youth mentoring, where a caring adult spends time with a young person who needs support. Valuable work, but not help building a project.
A strategy session with me is free and 20 to 30 minutes. We talk through your teen's idea and what kind of mentor it needs, and your child is welcome to join.
What should I look for in a mentor for a teen who wants to build something?
Look for five things.
- They have built something themselves. Ask what they built and what became of it.
- They have worked with teenagers. Ask how many teens they have mentored and what those teens finished with.
- They bring a plan and a finish line. Before anything starts, you should hear the stages and what your teen will have at the end.
- Your teen respects them. If your teen dreads the calls, it will not work, however good the mentor looks on paper. Teens often open up most to someone a few years older. I was mentored by two older students in debate from the age of eleven, and it changed what I thought I could do.
- They let your teen own it. A mentor who does the work takes away the part that matters.
What should a good mentor leave my teen with?
A launched project that other people use or join, a clearer sense of what they are good at, and the words to explain what it taught them. Ask any mentor what past students finished with. What this help costs is in how much does a mentor for my teen's project cost?
How do I keep it safe?
For anyone who works one on one with your child:
- Meet the mentor yourself first.
- Sessions should be video calls you know about, not private messages at odd hours.
- Ask for references, and for anyone outside a formal program, consider a background check.
- Ask your teen how the sessions feel, not only what got done.
Where does NaviFounders fit?
I mentor teenagers one on one until they have launched a real project. This is how I answer the five tests above.
NaviFounders is not the right fit if your child wants a place in a research lab, or wants someone to build the project for them.
The first call is free and takes 20 to 30 minutes. You leave with a clear plan for your teen's project, whether or not you go on with us.