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Mentoring News Post

iRT Receives NIH Funding to Develop New Toolkit to Support Youth Mentors

2026-10-08T15:25:14+00:00

October 08, 2026, Durham, NC – Mentoring Central, a division of iRT, has received a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to develop and evaluate the Building Assets Together (BAT) Toolkit for youth mentors. The project, led by iRT Research Scientist, Dr. Rebecca Stelter, will develop a new approach to providing mentors with practical, ongoing training and support throughout their mentoring relationships. For many mentoring programs, mentor training is concentrated before the mentoring relationship begins. Initial onboarding training can provide an important foundation [...]

iRT Receives NIH Funding to Develop New Toolkit to Support Youth Mentors2026-10-08T15:25:14+00:00

Helping Youth Start the School Year Strong Through Goal Setting

2026-08-13T14:51:39+00:00

August 13, 2026, Durham, NC – The start of a new school year is more than a return to the classroom. It is an opportunity for young people to set new goals, build positive habits, and envision what they want to accomplish in the months ahead. Whether you are a teacher, mentor, afterschool professional, youth leader, or another trusted adult, you can play an important role in helping youth begin the school year with purpose. By encouraging meaningful goal setting and providing ongoing support, adults can help young people develop the confidence and skills they need to succeed both in and [...]

Helping Youth Start the School Year Strong Through Goal Setting2026-08-13T14:51:39+00:00

How Afterschool Programs Can Use Mentoring Trainings to Better Support Youth

2026-04-09T20:28:13+00:00

April 09, 2026, Durham, NC – Afterschool programs provide students with opportunities for connection, growth, and learning beyond the classroom. One powerful way afterschool programs can strengthen their impact is by incorporating a mentoring approach into their staff’s everyday interactions with students. Fostering meaningful, safe relationships between youth and afterschool staff through mentoring supports student development in afterschool settings. Mentoring training can help make that possible. Why a Mentoring Approach Matters in Afterschool Settings Afterschool staff and volunteers interact with youth in a unique environment. Afterschool programs often provide more flexibility to build relationships, offer more individualized support, and create a [...]

How Afterschool Programs Can Use Mentoring Trainings to Better Support Youth2026-04-09T20:28:13+00:00

Helping Students Finish the School Year Strong: Building a Growth Mindset

2026-04-09T20:22:28+00:00

April 08, 2026, Durham, NC – As the school year draws to a close, many students begin to lose momentum. Final projects, standardized testing, and the anticipation of summer break can make it difficult to stay focused and motivated. For some students, this time of year can feel overwhelming, especially if they are struggling academically or feeling discouraged about their progress. Supportive adults can play an important role during the end of the school year by helping students develop a growth mindset. As the school year enters its final stretch, adults can help students develop the mindset they need to push [...]

Helping Students Finish the School Year Strong: Building a Growth Mindset2026-04-09T20:22:28+00:00

iRT Welcomes Angelika Santero to the Team

2026-02-09T20:20:10+00:00

February 09, 2025 – Angelika Santero has joined iRT as the newest member of our team of interdisciplinary research scientists, research assistants, web developers, multimedia designers, and more. iRT is pleased to welcome Santero as an intern through the Karen M. Gil Internship Program, which iRT has supported and participated in for several years. Santero is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, double-majoring in psychology and data science. Her interests lie in social and organizational psychology as well as using data science to support meaningful causes. She is passionate about the power of mentoring [...]

iRT Welcomes Angelika Santero to the Team2026-02-09T20:20:10+00:00

Connected Scholars Program Positively Impacts College Student Retention and Graduation Rates

2025-11-24T19:13:21+00:00

November 24, 2025, Durham, NC – Recently published research reported that the Connected Scholars program has significant positive impacts on college student retention and graduation rates. Connected Scholars teaches high school and college students how to build social capital, expand their social networks, and develop mentoring relationships that can help them reach their academic and life goals. The program helps students proactively seek out mentoring relationships and practice their networking skills, so they can thrive academically and socially. These skills may be particularly important for students of color and first-generation college students, who often have fewer connections to mentors and less [...]

Connected Scholars Program Positively Impacts College Student Retention and Graduation Rates2025-11-24T19:13:21+00:00

iRT Receives Grant to Develop New STEM Mentor Training

2025-10-20T19:44:03+00:00

October 20, 2025, Durham, NC – iRT is excited to announce that we have received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to complete the development a novel mentoring training program for STEM mentors. Why we’re doing it. In the United States, the number of young people pursuing careers related to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is diminishing. Mentoring programs that aim to give young people support as they explore STEM subjects may inspire young people to pursue a future in STEM fields. The supportive relationships that mentees create with mentors through STEM mentoring programs may also help [...]

iRT Receives Grant to Develop New STEM Mentor Training2025-10-20T19:44:03+00:00

New Research Intern Joins iRT

2025-03-13T20:10:28+00:00

March 10, 2025, Durham, NC – iRT is pleased to welcome Sarah Soson as the newest member of our team of world-renowned researchers and creative professionals. Soson has joined iRT as a research intern to assist iRT in a new grant award focused on training program staff and mentors matched with mentees who have been impacted by substance misuse. Soson is currently a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She joined iRT through the Karen M. Gil Internship [...]

New Research Intern Joins iRT2025-03-13T20:10:28+00:00

iRT to Evaluate the Impact of Training Mentors on Youth Impacted by Substance Misuse

2025-02-21T19:34:28+00:00

February 21, 2025, Durham, NC – iRT is excited to announce that it has received funding from the National Institutes of Health to evaluate the impact of a web-based training program on mentors working with mentees who have been impacted by substance misuse. Approximately 14.7% of youth 12 to 17 years old reported using illicit drugs in 2023, and more than 21 million children in the U.S. lived with a parent who misused substances between 2015 and 2019.1,2 Thus, youth can be impacted by substance misuse in more than one way – they may be at risk for misusing substances themselves; [...]

iRT to Evaluate the Impact of Training Mentors on Youth Impacted by Substance Misuse2025-02-21T19:34:28+00:00

iRT Announces Collaboration with the Southeast Prevention Technology Transfer Center

2025-01-28T19:45:58+00:00

January 22, 2025, Durham, NC – iRT is pleased to announce that it has begun a collaboration with the Southeast Prevention Technology Transfer Center (Southeast PTTC) to explore and advance substance misuse prevention efforts in the Southeastern United States. The Southeast PTTC, housed at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, is one of 10 regional centers that are part of the Prevention Technology Transfer Center (PTTC) Network (https://pttcnetwork.org/). The network was created to improve the implementation and delivery of evidence-based substance misuse prevention strategies across the nation. Funded by the Substance Abuse Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Southeast PTTC offers [...]

iRT Announces Collaboration with the Southeast Prevention Technology Transfer Center2025-01-28T19:45:58+00:00
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