Welcome to the Young Women Leaders Program

Congratulations on being accepted as a mentor in the Young Women Leaders Program (YWLP)! You are joining a wonderful group of women—young and old—who are committed to bringing out the best in each other as we develop our skills as leaders.  Through readings, discussions, and application to mentoring, the goal of this academic service-learning course is to help you hone your existing leadership skills and stretch yourselves to develop new skills in teamwork, problem-solving, appreciating differences and perseverance while also. As is true for any authentic relationship, the development of a meaningful mentoring relationship takes time and commitment. From our research on past YWLP relationships we know it takes at least a year to develop an effective mentoring relationship with a middle school girl so we have asked you to commit to your “Little Sister” and YWLP for both semesters this year. 

We also know that mentoring a middle school girl can be both amazingly rewarding and challenging.  Girls this age can be self-absorbed, unreliable, and overly sensitive and they can be amazingly open-hearted, appreciative, and caring. Your Little Sister is likely to be all of these things at some point in her relationship with you this year so we have developed this course to provide you guidance and support along your mentoring journey. Some of the “big questions” we’ll explore together in YWLP include:

1. What knowledge and skills will help me develop an effective relationship with someone different from me?

2. Am I the learner or the teacher when I engage in service?

From the class you’ll learn about best practices in mentoring and theory and research on adolescent development. We will explore how developmental, psychological, social, and cultural issues—including race, class, and ethnicity—influence the trajectory for middle school girls, and ways we can empower them when they hit a snag. I’ll also teach you some skills, including how to stand still when your Little Sister is challenging, and empathically listen when she is struggling with something. While understanding how physical, cognitive and social/emotional development shapes the experiences of adolescent girls will help you be a better mentor, I also hope the experience of applying theory to practice will help you grow as a leader in other areas of your life. 

In this course I also invite you and the other Big Sisters in your group to be co-teachers for each other.  During the weekly Big Sister Meetings, Mentoring Group sessions, and on-on-one time with your Little Sister you’ll have the opportunity to hone your skills as a collaborative member of a team.  You’ll be supported in trying out different leadership roles and styles as you and your group work together to adapt the YWLP curriculum to best meet your group’s needs. You and your fellow Big Sisters will teach each other how to creatively manage a relationship schism with a Little Sister and supportively work through “sticky situations” in your group.  And I hope you’ll become good friends.