LE3 .A278 2014

2014

Sweatman, Mary

Acadia University

Bachelor of Recreation Management

Honours

Envirironmental & Sustainability Studies

Environmental & Sustainability Studies

A thorough review of current literature around the topic of mentorship and youth was completed. It was found that there are gaps in terms of the benefits experienced by the mentor and the role of recreation and leisure in mentoring relationships with youth. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the role of recreation and leisure in mentor-mentee relationships that are formed between students in alternative education schools in Nova Scotia, and their adult mentors, from the perspective of the mentor. Semi structured, in-depth interviews were used to collect data around the topic. It was found that recreation and leisure provide an environment for natural mentoring relationships to be developed and sustained. This was due to the ability of this environment to promote the “breaking down of barriers” which allows the mentor to connect with the youth, and the increased ability for the mentor to build rapport with their mentee during recreational or leisure time. It was also found that a reciprocal effect does in fact occur in mentoring relationships as both the mentor and the mentee benefit positively in some way from the relationship. Finally, it was also discovered that due to the reciprocity in these relationships both the mentor and the mentee are more open to mentoring, or being mentored, in the future.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1127