Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the preferred approach used by mentors to work with immigrant youths, describe how they carry out their work and why they chose to work that way, and analyze what is their initial assumption in their work with immigrant youths. The approaches are personal growth, mentoring as situational learning, mentoring that focuses on problem-solving problem and mentoring as a research process. One hundred and fifty mentors participated in the study. Each of them worked regularly with five Israeli immigrant youths. The findings show that the mentors adapted the work process to their mentees, but chose an approach that best suited their personality and worldview. A mentor who preferred the “mentoring as personal growth” approach may find it difficult to work in the “mentoring as situational learning” approach. All mentors mentioned a sense of mission they had in working with immigrant youths. The mentors used concepts such as “awareness” and “mindfulness,” and spoke about the attention that allows the mentor and mentee a focused view of the present, of what is happening here and now, as a key to a meaningful process in each of the approaches. All the mentors mentioned the principle of communication as a central principle in their work and the importance of having a meaningful dialogue with the mentees. Another principle mentioned by all the mentors was that of building trust between them and their mentees. They developed the mentees' confidence in themselves and their abilities, in the sense that they were capable enough to act, perform, and succeed; and developed trust in the fact that the mentors did want what was best for the mentees, accepting the mentees with their strengths, impulses, and weaknesses.

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