The Promise of CARING ADULTS: Mentorship’s Return on Investment

Who We ARE The Alberta’s Promise commitment of Caring Employee and business involvement in Alberta’s Promise is a connector. Adults is the promise “to provide support mentoring(1) can result in: We partner with businesses, and guidance to children and youth through • employee retention non-profit agencies and community leaders to enhance the well-being of mentoring, coaching and volunteering.” • improved customer relations and loyalty children and youth in Alberta. • increased brand recognition Caring adults can be parents, extended family • increased ability to attract and retain investors members, and informal mentors such as coaches, • improved employee job performance Our MISSION teachers and business leaders. Being a caring • reduced employee absenteeism We will inspire a movement and adult is a powerful way to lend support to kids. The (1) Northstar Research Partners. (2005). Employer Supported encourage businesses, agencies, relationship between caring adults and children and Volunteerism. Burlington, ON: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada. and communities to partner together youth helps kids develop self-esteem, confidence and adopt the Alberta’s Promise and the social skills they need to be successful. commitment to children and youth. Kids who do not have a caring adult in their life are Mentoring Return on Investment vulnerable to difficulties. Formal mentoring programs can help to fill these gaps. These programs involve a Our Five PROMISES structured relationship where mentors and mentees meet with the support of a mentoring program. Together with our partners,we are committed to supporting five key Research has shown the many benefits of mentoring developmental building blocks needed by children to reach their best for children, including: — socially, civically and academically. • improvements in academics • improvement in social skills A Healthy Start • preventing youth participation in negative behaviours such as aggression, bullying and Caring Adults classroom misbehaviour

Child and Family Researchers are also looking at the long term $1 Friendly Communities outcomes of mentoring on high school graduation rates, employment rates, and earnings of former Lifelong Learning mentees. A study by The Boston Consulting Group for Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada looked at the Opportunities return on investment for mentoring. They compared Mentored $18 to Contribute the life outcomes of 500 formerly mentored to 1000 children earn non-mentored adults. Results show: $315,000 more

• it costs an average of $5,059 to mentor a child Boys & Girls Clubs Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton & Area. (2013, Our RESEARCH July 25). 18:1 Mentoring delivers a high return. [Webpage]. Retrieved • mentored adults earned $315,000 more from: http://bgcbigs.ca/2013/07/16/181-mentoring-delivers-a-high-return/ Alberta’s Promise is collaborating • return on investment was $18 for every $1 invested with the Alberta Centre for Child, • among the most disadvantaged mentees, return on Family and Community Research investment was $23 for every $1 invested Researchers have found that some features of (ACCFCR) to provide partners with mentoring programs are stronger predictors of positive current, accurate information on a The economic benefits of mentoring included variety of topics. results than others. When investing in mentoring increased tax revenue from formerly mentored adults, you should ensure programs have: This summary, prepared by increased consumer spending as well as greater • ongoing training for mentors ACCFCR, is from a larger review, charitable donations and volunteerism. Mentoring: A Review of the Literature • structured activities for mentoring pairs available at: Get involved and realize the value of a great • clear expectations around the frequency of www.albertaspromise.org/public/data investment in children and youth. mentoring meetings /documents/MentoringScopingRevie wFinalpdf.pdf. • mentee family involvement in the mentoring Businesses can support mentoring by: program • Including mentoring in your community • support mechanisms for programs investment strategy • Sharing information about mentoring with employees • Launching a workplace mentoring program so mentees can meet with their mentors at work Join the • Being flexible to employees adjusting their work schedules so that they can mentor MOVEMENT • Sharing mentoring success stories with Additional information on mentoring colleagues to encourage fellow businesses Become a Promise Partner can be found on the Alberta to take on similar efforts and help keep the promise of Mentoring Partnership website at http://albertamentors.ca/. Caring Adults to children and youth. Learn more at www.albertaspromise.org. www.albertaspromise.com Caring Adults: Mentorship’s Return on Investment