The Weekly “Connect” Meeting

The mentor acknowledges the student's concerns while at the same time explores the pros and cons of decisions. The mentor emphasizes the importance of focusing only on things the student can change and responds to the student’s feeling of not having a choice. By reminding the student that missing school is also a choice and talking about a future opportunity to make school a better experience, the mentor is emphasizing the importance of school.

The “Connect” meeting is a one-on-one meeting between  a mentor and a student who have built a trusting relationship. Conversations that incorporate the key tasks of the basic intervention happen naturally, as you can hear in this example.  Navigating school is discussed when it comes up — during the problem-solving process.