Mentoring recommendations
Hello resourceful BPN community,
We're a mixed race family with Caucasian and Asian parents, searching for a mentor for our 11 year old AA son.
Ideally we'd like for our son to mentor with an AA male, 18-32 who has clear life goals, likes working with kids and who's confident with his own chosen path in life (i.e. college student or working).
We're currently on the waitlist with Big Brothers & Sisters of America organization, although we know the process may take quite a while to be matched with someone there.
We may also post an ad on Cal Berkeley campus, although we're not sure which department would be the best to connect with for a resource like this.
We thought we'd reach out to the community here to see what other opportunities exist.
If you have any thoughts or recommendations on who to best contact, please reach out to let us know.
Thanks so much.
Parent Replies
I think your idea about finding an undergrad is a great idea. When my son was that age, I found male babysitters on our street and the sons of my close friends. One was an artist and got him to draw; the other turned him on to Gordo's which he still loves as an adults, and just exposed him to things this young man liked about Berkeley. So perhaps you just want to find someone who will hang out with him once a week for a few hours and do things together---play basketball, play games, take walks, go for lunch (always a good one), etc. That way, it's more natural and builds a relationship. There's a student employment center at Cal where you can post. And that way, you can change it up every year to expose him to different people. Good luck!