Let Children Raise Their Own Bar

A mentor is a potentiator who guides a mentoree into reaching their potential. The first step in the mentoring process is building a trusting relationship. The second step is setting expectations for each other. 

Expectations are good indicators of future behaviors. Expecting children to achieve what they are capable of helps them reach their potential. Those expectations must be clearly stated - repeatedly!

For over 6 years, Youth With A Purpose Inc. has taken young people on Wilderness Treks into the Adirondack Mountains. We expect that every young person will make the top of the mountain. There has only been one crew who did not make the top and they were stopped by a blizzard. Every other young person did something that they had never done before. Most said it was the hardest thing they ever had to do.

Yes, as mountain guides we are motivators but we set expectations. We believe that the young people eventually motivate themselves. Have you told a child how smart they are? Have you shared with them the benefits of struggling to succeed? When I ask 7th Graders if I have their permission to treat them as college students, almost all of them accept the challenge. I let them know that they are as capable as college students of grasping material that was designed for college age adults. They are guided into a higher bar of expectations for themselves and they reach that bar!

Thanks for your time.
Go do something nice for somebody. 

If you would like a mentoring mountain experience call us: 716-830-8240