Professional Mentor "Friend

Overview

Friends of the Children – Utah is a nonprofit organization with more than 30 years of evidence showing that our innovative model works. Our mission is to impact generational change by empowering youth who face the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors called "Friends." Moving mentorship beyond the volunteer realm, Friends – Utah commits to walk alongside youth from kindergarten through high school graduation, a 12+ year commitment, no matter what.

Professional Mentors/Friends support youth to set and accomplish academic and individual developmental goals, while consistently navigating systemic barriers and the unique challenges they may face. Over the long-term, our goal is to ensure youth graduate from high school with a clear plan for what comes next (whether that's post‑secondary education, employment, or military service), stay out of the juvenile justice system, set positive life goals, and build healthy, sustainable lifestyles.

Ultimately, our long‑term, trauma‑informed approach supports youth to develop skills for self‑sufficiency, break cycles of generational poverty and adversity, and grow to thrive as empowered members of society.

Friends of the Children – Utah is a nonprofit organization with more than 30 years of evidence showing that our innovative model works. Our mission is to impact generational change by empowering youth who face the greatest obstacles through relationships with professional mentors called "Friends." Moving mentorship beyond the volunteer realm, Friends – Utah commits to walk alongside youth from kindergarten through high school graduation, a 12+ year commitment, no matter what.

Professional Mentors/Friends support youth to set and accomplish academic and individual developmental goals, while consistently navigating systemic barriers and the unique challenges they may face. Over the long‑term, our goal is to ensure youth graduate from high school with a clear plan for what comes next (whether that's post‑secondary education, employment, or military service), stay out of the juvenile justice system, set positive life goals, and build healthy, sustainable lifestyles.

Ultimately, our long‑term, trauma‑informed approach supports youth to develop skills for self‑sufficiency, break cycles of generational poverty and adversity, and grow to thrive as empowered members of society.

A Friend works intensively with eight (8) children as a positive adult role model to develop a caring, trusting and sustained relationship with each child. For each child, a Friend will set positive expectations; nurture and promote their strengths, talents and abilities; help assure physical and emotional well‑being; teach life and academic skills; provide enrichment activities; and model responsible behavior. A Friend will fully document youth and caregiver interactions and activities and participate in an ongoing evaluation process.

Friends will work primarily one‑on‑one with their children. A Friend must also know, understand, honor and support the organization’s mission, vision, values, principles and policies, and be able to clearly articulate the organization’s function.

• Develop and sustain a long‑term, caring, protective, and loving relationship with each child.
• Spend 3–4 hours each week with each of the 8 youth on your roster in home, school, and in the community.
• In collaboration with youth and caregivers, set goals and develop plans to meet those goals to ensure the development of each child’s strengths, talents, abilities, and needs.
• Teach life skills and help develop a talent/skill/area of interest with each child along with healthy habits to contribute both to basic development and learning, and to contribute to building positive self‑esteem.
• Provide enrichment resources and activities that include opportunities for cultural awareness.
• Support child’s development of behavioral management skills, emotional regulation, and prosocial behavior.
• Model and promote good problem solving and decision making skills.
• Develop positive relationships with families, teachers, and others involved in each child’s…