Mentoring is a collaborative, learning-centered relationship that helps a young person to identify and achieve clear and mutually-defined learning goals with support from an experienced person. The mentor guides the young person to find the gifts that truly serve their highest potential for themselves, their families, and their chosen communities.

Their union creates a living bridge between generations. In traditional cultures the relationships between mentors and youth was a fundamental part of the lifeways of the people so that the wisdom of the elders was available to guide young people. But in our modern culture this relationship is largely not available and many youth end up floundering for years as they search for their place and purpose. Similiarly most adults today were not mentored themselves.

The Lifeways Initiation Council of the Sacred Fire Community is beginning a mentoring program for young adults who have been initiated. The first training group of adults who will become mentors for the Lifeways Mentoring program will begin in 2013. Upon completion of this training they will be matched with a previously identified group of initiated youth for a four-year mentoring process. We acknowledge that young people will inherit the future and are pleased to begin a  formal mentoring program that we trust will some day dissolve as once again these life ways will be part of all of our communities as elders mentoring youth becomes part of how we live.

For more information please contact Lifeways.

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