The following resources, developed by the National Mentoring Center over multiple projects, provide guidance on developing and implementing a peer mentoring program in which older youth mentor someone younger, often in a school setting.

NMC Resources

Building Effective Peer Mentoring Programs in Schools: An Introductory Guide
This guidebook provides a framework for designing a peer mentoring program, where older youth (typically high school students) mentoring younger students (elementary or middle school) in a school setting. The guide incorporates the latest research on peer mentoring, and provides solutions to the common challenges faced in implementing a peer mentoring model.

Webinar - Peer Mentoring: Recruiting, Training, and Ensuring Longevity (Windows Media File)

Additional webinar downloads:
Slides from the presentation (PDF file)
Transcript of presentation
Additional Q & A with the Presenter
Handout: Program Roles and Responsibilities
Handout: Memorandum of Understanding
Handout: HS Mentor Agreement
Handout: Peer Mentor Training Outline
Handout: Generalized Self Efficacy Scale (evaluation tool, modified by presenter's agency)

This one-hour session is presented by Tina Christensen, Program Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Rochester (NY), one of the nation’s leading peer mentoring programs. Tina’s peer mentoring model has produced a number of compelling positive outcomes for youth, and here she shares her advice on how to effectively structure program services and provides a number of training materials and other handouts programs can use. The presentation focuses on creating effective relationships with schools, recruiting mentors who are right for the job, and how to properly prepare young people for a mentoring role.

Webinar - Peer Mentoring: New Research and Innovative Practice

Additional webinar downloads:
Slides from the presentation (PDF file)
Transcript of presentation
Handout: Recommendations for Program Practice (provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America)
Companion resource: High School Students as Mentors - Findings From the Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Impact Study

This webinar, presented by Keoki Hansen of the Big Brothers Big Sisters National Office and Tina Christensen of BBBS of Greater Rochester (NY), examines recent research on the effectiveness of peer mentors and many of the challenges peer mentoring programs face during implementation. The session focuses in on how BBBS peer programs are learning from this research and designing an "enhanced" mentoring model that should improve program outcomes. These are critical insights for anyone running a peer mentoring program in the schools.

Resources from Other Organizations

These resources, developed by other youth mentoring organizations, also provide key insights in to designing and implementing a peer mentoring program. All links will open in a new window.

Cross-Age Peer Mentoring (published by MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership)

High School Students as Mentors: Findings from the Big Brothers Big Sisters School-Based Mentoring Impact Study (published by Public/Private Ventures)

Increases in Academic Connectedness and Self-Esteem Among High School Students Who Serve as Cross-Age Peer Mentors (published in Professional School Counseling, April 2009)