Mentoring by Modem
Log in and Make a Connection The eMentoring program serves about 160 students. Funded in large part by Casey Family Programs, the program costs about $1,200 per student. The Orphan Foundation's goal is to serve 400 students by the end of 2003, and 2,500 students by 2004. The Northrop Grumman Foundation will provide funds to help them achieve these goals.
Currently, 1,700 mentors are waiting in the wings. "There's no lack of adults wanting to make a difference," McCaffrey says.
E-mentors go through a screening process that includes an FBI background check. Their eight-hour training includes "netiquette," the proper role of a mentor, and the special characteristics of the foster care population, many of whom have been abandoned by adults throughout their lives.
"A lot of people have physically come into our lives and disappeared," Ahlgren says. That's one reason that eMentoring could be a good alternative for foster youth. Because the program is more convenient for mentors, they may be more likely to stick around, rather than come and go from young people's lives. Even if they move geographically, they can still be involved.
Rather than trade personal e-mail addresses, students and eMentors correspond through a secure Web site. The site includes software that raises a red flag when certain words—like "depression" or "suicide"—appear in an e-mail. Caseworkers are alerted to those messages, and can intervene if necessary. Pairs don't exchange phone numbers or private e-mail addresses. Meeting face-to-face is prohibited—until the student graduates from college. According to McCaffrey, many e-mentors choose to attend graduation ceremonies.
Starting soon, a new online component will enable students to have their own "filing cabinets" in which to place personal information. They'll have calendars for class schedules, so that mentors can monitor them and see whether they've taken on too much, or whether they have room for extracurricular activity. The Web site will also feature a library of useful information and tips for mentors and students.
"One of our goals is to make mentors feel like they're part of a team," McCaffrey says. "We're doing everything to safeguard and protect the relationship without stifling its development."
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