Diversity Mentoring Toolkit

A m e r i c a n D i e t e t i c A s s o c i a t i o n
Building Our Future
Toolkit for
Mentoring
Diverse Students
for Dietetics
Careers
Building
Our Future
Toolkit for Mentoring
Diverse Students
for Dietetics Careers
The ADA Diversity Mentoring Project was made possible by funding

from the:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration
Bureau of Health Professions
Division of Interdisciplinary Community-Based Programs,
Allied Health Branch
©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

The material in the Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit may
be reproduced for educational purposes only and should not be
made available for purchase by any individual. The credit line on
the bottom of each page of the toolkit must be visible on all
reproduced materials. To receive a Microsoft Word 97 version of
the samples and handouts on computer disk or e-mail, contact the
American Dietetic Association, Accreditation, Education Programs,
and Student Operations at education@eatright.org or 800/877-
1600 ext. 5400.
ADA acknowledges with gratitude the work of Shayne Schneider,

Mentors Unlimited in writing this toolkit and her kind permission
to reproduce her materials, as stated above.
©2001, American Dietetic Association. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
Summary of ADA Diversity Mentoring Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I

How to Use This Toolkit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . II
Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IV
SECTION ONE: GUIDELINES FOR ALL

MENTORING PROGRAMS
1. Overview of Diversity
Diversity in Dietetics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Diversity and Mentoring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2. Overview of Mentoring
Value of Mentoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mentor Program Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Mentor Program Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Mentor Program Designs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
One-on-one . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Group mentoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Telementoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Elements of Effective Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Nuts and bolts checklist for mentoring programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
How to Select the Best Program for Your Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Program Staffing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Program manager job description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Program assistant job description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3. Recruitment and Screening
Marketing Your Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Recruitment Strategy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Influential leaders can help with recruitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Sample Script for Recruitment Phone Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Sample Recruitment Flyer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Sample Recruitment Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Eligibility Criteria for Screening Mentors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Timing the Screening Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Interview Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Sample Mentor Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Sample Interview Formats for Mentors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Sample Protégé Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Sample Interview Formats for Protégés . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Reference Check Process. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Reference Check Format . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Criminal Record Checks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Procedure for Handling Questionable Records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Making the Cut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

4. Training, Matching, and Monitoring
Mentors and Protégés
Goals for Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

How to Use the Training Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Sample Agenda for Mentor Training Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Handouts - Training Materials for Mentors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Sample Agenda for Protégé Training Session. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Handouts - Training Materials for Protégé . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Criteria for Matching Mentors and Protégés . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
The Personality factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Common expectations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
What about gender? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Notifying Mentors and Protégés . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Sample Match Notification Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Sample Parental Permission and Waiver of Liability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Monitoring/Support for Mentor/Protégé Pairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Sample Activity Report Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Terminating Relationships (voluntary and involuntary) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Sample Termination Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
5. Evaluation and Recognition
Establishing Measures of Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Documenting Mentor/Protégé Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Sample Participant Evaluation Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Measuring Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Mentor Recognition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Sample Letter of Recognition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Long-Term Follow Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
One-Year Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
6. Select Resources on Mentoring
Texts, Monographs and Journal Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Community Organizations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Sample Timelines for Planning and Implementing a Mentor Program . . . . . . . . 91
SECTION TWO: GUIDELINES FOR FOUR

DISTINCT AGE GROUPS
1. College - Declared Majors
Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Challenges for Minority Majors: Student Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Assessment of Student’s Strengths and Weaknesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Academic Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Professional Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Interviewing Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Handout - Tips for Informational Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Handout - Tips for Job Interviews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

2. College - Undeclared Majors
Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Issues for Minority Students: Student Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
How to Identify and Recruit Potential Dietetics Students. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Selecting a Program Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Assessment of Student’s Strengths and Weaknesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Handout - Challenges in the Freshman and Sophomore Years . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
3. High School Students

Minority Students in High School Today: Student Profiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Assessment of Student’s Strengths and Weaknesses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Working with School Administrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Developing Partnerships with Community Groups and Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Engaging Adolescents in Career Planning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Handout - Developmental Aspects of Adolescence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Handout - Communicating with Teenagers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Handout - Mentors and Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
4. K-8 and Community Outreach

Minority Dietetics Professionals of the Next Generation: Student Profiles . . . . . . 125
Program Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Working Together with School Administrators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Developing Partnerships with Community Groups and Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Communicating with Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Learning styles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Handout - Developmental Aspects of Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Handout - Classroom Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
5. Dietetics Career Recruitment Information
Check it Out…Careers in Dietetics Brochure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

Check it Out…Educational Pathways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Check it Out…Becoming a RD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Check it Out…Becoming a DTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Order Form for Brochures and Video . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Toolkit Evaluation Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145

INTRODUCTION
We are pleased to provide you with the Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit.
The toolkit is the first step in the American Dietetic Association’s efforts to develop
and implement a program for mentoring culturally diverse students into
dietetics/nutrition programs.
Summary of ADA Diversity Mentoring Project
ADA members, the largest group of food and nutrition professionals in the world, have
the capability of expanding access to nutrition services for diverse populations in a
variety of traditional and non-traditional therapeutic and health prevention settings.
Toward that end, ADA’s 2000-2003 Strategic Plan includes goals, objectives, and tac-
tics focused on underrepresented groups. The Association has committed to increas-
ing diversity in educational preparation from 20.7% in 1998 to 25.7% by 2004. To
meet this goal, ADA recognized the urgent need to try new methods for addressing
diversity issues and began the Diversity Mentoring Project with funding from the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services
Administration, Bureau of Health Professions, Division of Interdisciplinary Community-
Based Programs, Allied Health Branch.
As the Steering Committee, we identified and sought input from experts in cultural
diversity, best practices in mentoring programs, and the design of successful training
formats. An Invitational Summit on Mentoring and Diversity was held July 6-8, 2001
in Chicago. The Summit convened 40 individuals representing key stakeholders, such
as students, educators, and health care and food industry professionals. These forty
individual stakeholders became partners in the development of the toolkit.
The Summit was notable for the variety of cultural perspectives, educational expertise
and diversity experiences of the participants. Four workgroups discussed goals, out-
comes, and strategies for mentoring programs targeted to minority students at various
age levels from K-12 to college age. Based on recommendations from the workgroups,
the toolkit was developed to provide you with models for mentoring African American,
Hispanic, Asian or Pacific Islander, and American Indian, Alaskan Native and Hawaiian
Native students.
We hope to inspire you, ADA members in state affiliates, dietetic practice groups, and
diversity networking groups, to establish mentoring programs for K-8 and high school
students in your communities in order to raise awareness of dietetics careers and
increase the pool of potential students from underrepresented groups. We believe
mentoring also can be a successful strategy for those of you who are college and uni-
versity faculty to attract and retain non-declared majors from diverse cultures in
dietetics education programs, as well as assist declared dietetics majors from under-
represented groups to successfully complete credentialing requirements.
Additionally, we believe diversity mentoring programs will provide the structure for
specific steps to make the field of nutrition and dietetics more visible to K-12 minori-
ty students, school communities, and parents, such as visiting schools, providing role
©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit I

models, and identifying minority spokespersons. We expect other health professions
will be able to apply this model, ultimately improving the quality of health care and
accessibility of health services within culturally diverse populations.
How To Use This Toolkit
This toolkit will enable you to:

• Understand the need for more minority representation in dietetics
• Recognize a variety of effective mentoring models to attract and retain students
from underrepresented groups
• Understand the elements of effective practice that apply to all mentoring programs
• Select the program model that is most appropriate for your organization
• Have resources on hand (sample correspondence, forms, etc.) to make it easy to get
your program started
• Know where to go for additional information and assistance
The toolkit is organized in two sections. Section One provides guidelines that apply
to all types of mentoring programs. It is divided into six topic areas separated by gold
tabs. Section Two provides guidelines specific to mentoring students in different age
groups. Blue tabs are used to organize the information specific to each of these age
groups.
Section One provides background on the critical need for diversity in dietetics in the
first gold tab and general information about mentoring in the second gold tab. The
remaining gold tabs deal with the important components of mentor programming.
We are assuming that you know relatively little about how to start and run a mentor
program. Therefore, the overview of mentoring includes the elements of effective prac-
tice. As you design your program, please keep in mind that it’s worth the time to do
it right. Use the elements of effective practice in tab 2 as a guide. You will find infor-
mation on different models of mentor programs (one-on-one, group mentoring, etc)
and guidelines on how to decide which type of program is best for you. If you are
already familiar with mentor program design, you can just scan the Overview and go
on to the third tab. You may want to go back to tabs 1 and 2 from time to time as a
reference.
In gold tabs 3-5, we offer you information on the critical steps in every mentoring
program: recruitment, screening, training, matching, monitoring, and evaluation. You
will find some sample forms that you can use as is or modify to suit your unique
needs. These forms include recruitment materials, screening materials, training hand-
outs, and an evaluation form. For easy access, sample forms and handouts are high-
lighted in bold italics in the Table of Contents.
Finally, the sixth gold tab lists resources that can help you: books, articles, websites,
and organizations. We also have included brief planning examples for a state affiliate,
dietetic practice group (DPG), and/or an educational program with some suggested
timelines.
Section Two is devoted to mentoring programs for four categories of students, each
designated by a blue tab:
II ©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

• College Students - Declared majors enrolled in dietetics education program
accredited/approved by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education
• College Students – Undeclared majors who can be recruited for dietetics careers
• High School Students
• Elementary School Students
The information in Section Two will help you establish a context for your mentoring
program. It also provides specific program design elements (such as the classroom
activities for K-8) and information you may wish to share with your mentors. For easy
access, handouts are highlighted in bold italics in the Table of Contents. Finally, the
last blue tab includes copies of the ADA dietetics career recruitment handouts.
The general information and forms in Section One coupled with the information in
Section Two for the group or groups you wish to target are all the tools you need to
start your mentoring program.
We hope you find this toolkit useful as you begin mentoring programs in your organi-
zations. We will be asking you to share your successes and suggestions for improving
the toolkit with us and ADA staff throughout the coming years.
Diversity Mentoring Project

Steering Committee
Glenda Price, PhD, Co-chair

Polly A. Fitz, MA, RD, Co-chair
Naomi Kakiuchi, RD, CD
Linda Lagman Hoops, EdD, RD, FMP
Jorge Monserrate, MS, RD, LD
Beatrice W. Phillips, EdD, RD, LD
Nonie Woolf, MPH, RD
Shayne Schneider, MEd, Mentoring Consultant
Young Song, MS, MPH, RD, HRSA Project Officer
Beverly E. Mitchell, MBA, RD, ADA Staff
©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit III

Acknowledgements
The following individuals are acknowledged for their development of the ADA Diversity
Mentoring Project.
Summit Participants/ Julie O’Sullivan Maillet, PhD, RD, FADA

Partners Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and
Research
James A. Anderson, PhD
University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey
Vice Provost, Undergraduate Affairs and
School of Health Related Professions
Professor of Counselor Education
Newark, NJ
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC Dawna T. Mughal, PhD, RD, FADA
Director, Coordinated Program in Dietetics
Cheryl A. Bittle, PhD, RD, LD
Gannon University
Director, Office of Health Programs
College of Sciences, Engineering, and Health
Portland Area Indian Health Service
Erie, PA
Portland, OR
Carrie Mukaida, MS, RD
Yvonne L. Bronner, ScD, RD, LD
Renal Nutritionist
Director, MPH/DrPH Program
Optimal Renal Care
Morgan State University
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan
Baltimore, MD
Aiea, HI
Sharon Cox, MS, RD, CDE
Ethel Miriam Nettles, PhD, RD
Advanced Practice Dietitian
Director, Dietetics Program
Parkland Hospital System
Marygrove College
Dallas, TX
Human Nutrition and Foods
Veronica Diaz Detroit, MI
Dietetics Student, Coordinated Program
Patricia A. Obayashi, MS, RD, CDE
University of Illinois Chicago
Clinical Dietitian
Chicago, IL
Stanford Hospital and Clinics
Lea L. Ebro, PhD, RD, LD Stanford, CA
Professor and Director, Dietetic Internship
Yolanda B. Ortega-Gammill, RD
Oklahoma State University
Clinical Dietitian
Stillwater, OK
Washoe Health System
Gloria I. Fernandez Van Zante, MS, RD LD Reno, NV
Program Coordinator
Sandra Poitra, LRD
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Community Dietitian
Kingsville, TX
Quentin N. Burdick Memorial Health Care
Liana Garcia-Fresher, MS, RD, CDN Facility
Chief Executive Officer/President Indian Health Service-Dietary, Box 160
Prevent Blindness Connecticut Belcourt, ND 58316
Manchester, CT
Penny A. Ralston, PhD
David L. Gee, PhD Professor and Dean
Professor of Food Science and Nutrition College of Human Sciences
Department of Family and Consumer Sciences Florida State University
Central Washington University Tallahassee, FL
Ellensberg, WA
Cindy Sanchez
Savitri K. Kamath, PhD, RD Project Director
Dean Emerita and Professor Emerita Hispanic Association of Colleges and
College of Health and Human Development Universities
Sciences Washington, DC
University of Illinois-Chicago
Lizette Sanchez-Lugo, PhD, RD, LDN
Monica Frances Lopez Asst. Professor and Director, Didactic Program
Intern The North Carolina A&T State University
Yavapai County Health Department Greensboro, NC
Tucson, AZ
IV ©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Erskine R. Smith, PhD, RD Nancy Torres, MD
Chair and Director, Didactic Program Deputy Director
Family and Consumer Studies Division of Health Professions Diversity
The University of Mississippi HRSA/Bureau of Health Professions
University, MS C. Rockville, MD
Vannessa Spinner May Choo Wang, DrPH, RD
Mentors Unlimited Research Scientist
Washington, DC 20016 University of California Berkeley
Lancer D. Stephens, MS Palo Alto, CA
Program Coordinator Natalie A. Webb, MS, RD, LD
National Native American Youth Initiative President
Association of American Indian Physicians Nutrition Network, Inc.
Oklahoma City, OK Rockville, MD
Vista V. Suarez, PhD, RD Elenora M. Zephier, MPH, RD
Nutrition Education Program Consultant Nutrition Consultant
Nevada Department of Education Aberdeen Area Indian Health Service
Las Vegas, NV Aberdeen, SD
Jerry Tahsequah
Associate Director
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences
Center
Native American Center of Excellence
Oklahoma City, OK
Steering Committee Consultant
Co-Chair: Shayne Schneider, MEd

Glenda Price, PhD President, Mentors Unlimited
President, Marygrove College Washington, DC
Detroit, MI
Co-Chair: Editorial Assistant
Polly A. Fitz, MA, RD Cathy Jenkins
Co-owner, Health Training Resources President, Jenkins Communications,
Professor Emeritus, Univ. of Connecticut Alexandria, VA
Branford, CT
Naomi Kakiuchi, RD, CD Project Officer
President, NuCulinary
Young Song, MS, MPH, RD
Seattle, WA
HRSA/Bureau of Health Professions
Linda Lagman Hoops, EdD, RD, FMP Allied Health Programs
Director, Academic Relations Rockville, MD
Hospitality Business Alliance
Evansville, IN ADA Staff
Jorge Monserrate, MS, RD, LD Patricia Babjak
Assistant Professor/Clinical Instructor Executive Vice President
Florida International University Strategic Management Group
Department of Dietetics and Nutrition
Miami, FL Eva Donovan
Senior Assistant, Accreditation, Education
Beatrice W. Phillips, EdD, RD, LD Programs, and Student Operations
Associate Professor/DPD Director
Tuskegee University Beverly E. Mitchell, MBA, RD
Tuskegee, AL Director, Accreditation, Education Programs,
and Student Operations
Nonie Woolf, MPH, RD
Public Health Nutritionist Julie Williams
Blackfeet Community Hospital, IHS Director, Workforce Initiatives
Browning, MT
©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit V

Overview of Diversity
Section One: Guidelines for All Mentoring Programs

1. Overview of Diversity
Diversity in Dietetics
Among the total US population, for those reporting one race: 75.1% were White,
12.3% were Black or African American, 0.9% were American Indian or Alaskan Native,
3.6% were Asian, 0.1% were Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and, 5.5% were
some other race; 2.4% reported two or more races. Among the total US population,
among all races: 12.5% were Hispanic or Latino and 87.5% were not Hispanic or
Latino. (Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin (Census 2000 Brief), US Census Bureau,
March 2001)
However, underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans

exists in dietetics as well as other health professions. The American Dietetic
Association 1999 membership survey results indicate that only 2.4% of registered
dietitians (RD) are African American, 2.0% are Hispanic, 5.4% are Asian or Pacific
Islanders, and 0.2 % are American Indian, Alaskan Native and Hawaiian Natives.
Additionally, 97.4% of dietitians are women.
In all health professions, adequate representation of minority people is necessary for

access to and the quality of services for the public. Perceived ethnic and social
differences with health care providers often discourage consumers from seeking care
or sharing intimate information required for appropriate treatment. Social and ethnic
differences between providers and clients can inhibit development of effective
treatment plans. These issues are particularly important for us, as dietetics
professionals.
We all know that diet is a major factor in prevention and control of chronic diseases,
especially obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Strong evidence supports the need to
address these racial and ethnic differences in disease prevalence and health
outcomes. Prevention and standard treatment approaches must be tailored to the
needs of various patient groups, and food services in many instances must also be
geared to the diverse groups.
Obesity
According to the report issued by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
of the National Institutes of Health on the evaluation and treatment of obesity
in adults, “the need for obesity prevention and treatment is particularly pressing
in racial/ ethnic minority populations because of the high proportion of over-
weight and obese persons in many such populations”. Obesity is associated with
increased risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
• The prevalence of obesity is much higher in minority women. Among women,

33% of non-Hispanic whites, 52 percent of non-Hispanic blacks, and 50 per-
cent of Mexican Americans are overweight.
• The Strong Heart Study (1995) on risk factors for American Indians found that
obesity rates ranged from 54 to 80 % among different tribes.
©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit 1
ADA Mentor Program Toolkit
Diabetes
The complications of diabetes that result from the absence of early treatment
are a serious problem for minority populations.
• African Americans experience higher rates of at least 3 of the serious compli-

cations of diabetes: blindness, amputation, and end stage renal disease (kid-
ney failure).
• Prevalence of type 2 diabetes among Native Americans in the United States is

12.2% for those over 19 years of age. Among people with diabetes, the rate
of diabetic end stage renal disease is 6 times higher among Native Americans.
Amputation rates among Native Americans are 3-4 times higher than the gen-
eral population.
• The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is 2 times higher in Latinos than non-

Hispanic whites. 1.2 million or 10.6% of all Mexican Americans have diabetes.
The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Mexican Americans is 32-40%.
Cardiovascular Disease
• African American men and women are at particular risk for cardiovascular dis-
ease (CVD). Racial/ethnic differences are especially pronounced for women.
African American women, have coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality
rates 35.3% higher and stroke rates 71.4% higher than for white women.
• Women and Heart Disease: An Atlas of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in

Mortality highlights persistent inequalities among women of the major racial
and ethnic groups. This report supported the President’s Initiative to
Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health. The death rate from heart
disease in African American women was 553 deaths per 100,000 population,
followed by white women (388 deaths per 100,000 population).
Food Services
In addition to prevention and treatment of chronic disease, another need is to
design food and nutrition services in health facilities that are sensitive to
ethnic/racial differences. Food served in hospitals, long-term care, and other
health care and community-based organizations has become an area of major
concern as these institutions compete for clients within an increasingly diverse
consumer base. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
Organizations (JCAHO) hospital accreditation standards include requirements
that the racial and ethnic sensitivities of their patients be addressed in areas of
food services, patient communications, and patient education. JCAHO standards
encourage hospital staff to work closely with their local communities to identify
and address the health care needs of different racial/ethnic groups.
The number of minority students enrolled in undergraduate dietitian education

programs offers hope for the future. According to ADA 1999 enrollment statistics,
minority students are 23% of total enrollment (6.8% African American, 7.1%
Hispanic, 6.2% Asian or Pacific Islanders, and 0.7 % American Indian, Alaskan Native
and Hawaiian Natives). However, the percentage of minority students enrolled in
coordinated programs and postbaccalaureate dietetic internships necessary for
credentialing eligibility remains approximately 14% (3.7% African American, 5%
2 ©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Overview of Diversity
Hispanic, 5.4% Asian or Pacific Islanders, and 0.4% American Indian, Alaskan Native
and Hawaiian Natives). These data suggest a disparity between the number of
students interested in pursuing dietetics as a career and the number able to complete
educational requirements and ultimately obtain the RD credential to practice.
During the 1990s, ADA expressed significant concern regarding the number of
minorities in dietetics. Major forums and policy statements by ADA panels stressed the
need to respond to an increasingly multicultural society. As recently as August 1999,
the ADA commissioned Dr. Howard Greenwald of the University of Southern California
to conduct research on why minorities are underrepresented in the dietetics profession
and to suggest remedial steps based on successful efforts by individuals and programs
to promote minority representation.
Diversity and Mentoring

Information obtained from the Greenwald study supports mentoring as a promising
means of recruiting and enabling minority people to achieve their potential as
dietetics practitioners. Minority RDs most often mentioned personal qualities such as
perseverance and study skills as factors that helped them succeed in their training.
Closely following personal capabilities were assistance, mentorship, and interest by
faculty and preceptors. Education program directors cited establishment of
professional networks for recruitment and providing tutoring and visible support for
minorities as having positive results.
While mentoring alone will not ensure students’ success, it is a key factor, along with
the others listed above. Testimony at the ADA Summit on Mentoring and Diversity
provided strong anecdotal support from individual experiences as to the importance of
mentoring to students. Mentoring of pre-college students also can have a significant
impact on their career choices. For these reasons, we hope you will develop a variety
of mentoring programs across the country to attract significant numbers of qualified
minority students into the dietetics profession.
When organized formally, mentoring can be a powerful tool to encourage interest in

and entrance into a specific profession. For minority students and other targeted
groups, mentoring can offer special emphasis on dietetics as a career where their
skills are wanted and needed. Mentoring brings dietetics to students’ attention, offers
help with their studies when necessary and enhances their chances of securing
internships and, ultimately, employment.

2. Overview of Mentoring
Value of Mentoring
Formal mentoring in conjunction with career development is just beginning to be
explored. Preliminary results are promising, but there is little formal research. Yet the
practice of apprenticing is well documented and appreciated. For thousands of years,
crafts and trades people have shared their skills with apprentices, helping them
become ready for employment.
In much the same way, mentors can expose young people and young adults to a
career. There are many successful professionals who can cite role models or people
who encouraged them to achieve—perhaps even guided them to enter a field of study
or career. This kind of involvement can be considered informal mentoring.
Academically, mentoring has proven to be valuable. A recent study by Big Brothers Big
Sisters showed that young people who met with a mentor three times each month for
one year were 52 percent less likely to skip school, 46 percent less likely to begin
using illegal drugs, and 33 percent less likely to get into fights. Research from Procter
& Gamble’s mentoring program in Cincinnati, Ohio schools showed that of the high
school seniors with mentors, 86 percent went on to college. Previously, only between
25 and 30 percent had gone to college. These are just two of a number of studies
linking mentoring to improved performance in school. Certainly, a strong grade point
average can give students an edge when competing for college acceptance,
internships, and jobs.
Mentoring is valuable to mentors, as well. A dietetics practitioner working with

students may begin to think about his or her job more critically. The experience can
generate new ideas and renew interest and excitement in a career. Mentors also can
extend their network of professionals, as dietitians meet other dietitians involved in
the program.
Finally, the entire dietetics profession can gain more status and attention through a
mentoring program. Media stories can spread awareness of dietetics and its
importance in health care. Such awareness could pique interest in students who may
explore dietetics as a career and in adults who may want to become mentors.
Mentoring programs in dietetics that are successful in attracting and retaining
minority students will serve as models for other health care professions where there is
also a severe shortage of minority candidates.
Mentor Program Goals

Goals are used to articulate a program’s ultimate achievement — the big picture. The
overall goal of ADA’s Building Our Future is:
To increase cultural diversity in dietetics now and in the future by

supporting current dietetics majors and developing a pipeline of younger
minority students who will be the dietetics majors of tomorrow.

There is an overall goal for mentoring programs geared to each group of students
addressed in this toolkit.
For college students who have declared dietetics as their major, the goal is:
To successfully complete a coordinated program in dietetics or a didactic
program and a dietetic internship and pass the registration examination for
dietitians.
Or
To successfully complete a dietetic technician program and pass the

registration examination for dietetic technicians.
For college students who have not yet declared a major, the goal is:
To select dietetics as their major.
For high school students, the goal is:

To go to college and select dietetics as their major.
For students in kindergarten through eighth grade, the goal is:

To have an understanding of and a positive view of the dietetics profession.
Mentor Program Objectives

Objectives are the measurable steps a program takes toward achieving a goal. For the
diversity mentoring programs described in this toolkit, the objectives differ for each
group of students.
For culturally diverse college students who have declared dietetics as their major, the
objectives are:
• To help students be academically competitive by identifying his or her learning
style and developing study skills. If the student’s learning style does not match the
teaching style in the classroom, the mentoring program can help address the
differences and find resources so the student can perform at his or her highest
level.
• To help culturally diverse students learn networking, presentation, and interviewing
skills.
• To introduce culturally diverse students to people in the dietetics profession.
(Note that this objective does not obligate a mentor to secure an internship or
employment for a student. Being an active advocate for a protégé is optional.)
For college students from underrepresented groups who have not declared dietetics as
their major, the objectives are:
• To assess the student’s interest in and abilities for dietetics as a career by giving
the student a complete picture of the dietetics profession in terms of benefits,
rewards, and challenges.
• To guide students in taking the appropriate courses to enter the dietetics program.
• To offer academic support by identifying the student’s learning style and
developing study skills so the student can excel. If the student’s learning style
does not match the teaching style in the classroom, the mentoring program can
help address the differences so the student can perform at his or her highest level.

Overview of Mentoring
• To offer encouragement by helping culturally diverse students find job

opportunities in the dietetics field. Having dietetics experience can help in
securing an internship later.
For culturally diverse high school students, the objectives are:

• To identify students who may be interested in dietetics.
• To present dietetics as a desirable career.
• To guide students in taking the appropriate high school courses to prepare them for
college.
• To offer academic support so students can excel.
• To encourage and help students in applying for college and financial aid.
• To help students find summer employment in dietetics or a related field.
For students in kindergarten through the eighth grade, the objectives are:
• To acquaint students with a dietetics professional so they can understand the
profession.
• To present a positive view of dietetics through hands-on learning experiences.
Mentor Program Designs

Three mentoring program designs exist: the one-to-one relationship between a mentor
and protégé; group mentoring, which matches one or more mentors with a group of
protégés; and telementoring, which allows a mentor and protégé to build a
relationship via e-mail on the Internet. Each design has advantages and
disadvantages (Table 1).
One-to-one mentoring
With this traditional approach, one mentor is matched with one protégé, which allows
them to develop a close relationship. The mentor can become a trusted advisor to, as
well as an advocate for, his or her protégé. On the other hand, this style is the most
expensive to maintain involving increased volunteer time or the indirect costs of
faculty time. Training, screening, and ongoing staff support is required. In addition,
one-to-one matches occasionally do not work, so the mentor and protégé must be
matched with others. Depending on the size of the program, there may not be enough
mentors for the number of protégés wanting a match.
Group mentoring
In this approach, one or more mentors works with a group of protégés. Protégés have
the flexibility to bond more closely with the adult of their choice. Also, when one
mentor or protégé cannot attend a session, the program can continue with the other
members of the group. This method is less costly than one-to-one mentoring, and
typically it occurs at a supervised site, such as a school, so the safety and liability
concerns of one-to-one mentoring do not apply. The drawbacks include not being able
to develop strong one-to-one relationships and managing group dynamics so that
more extroverted protégés are not the only young people receiving attention. Also,
mentors are challenged not to spread themselves too thin, giving protégés less than
the attention they need.
Telementoring
This design allows mentors and protégés to develop a relationship via e-mail. It is
particularly effective for protégés in rural areas, where population and transportation

can impede a mentoring program — and where there may not be local dietitians
available to be mentors. In addition, telementoring can be useful for protégés living
in small towns, where everyone knows each other and confidentiality may be
breached. Early research results show that boys and inner city protégés feel more
comfortable being mentored online, and men are easier to recruit as mentors if the
design used is telementoring. Telementoring is not expensive to manage, either. The
disadvantages include the lack of a face-to-face relationship and the need for a
central message site with a sorting mechanism so that mentor and protégé messages
are exchanged only with each other. Even though the Elements of Effective Practices
are followed, just as they are in one-to-one and group mentoring, the central message
site also archives confidential e-mails so there is a record of the mentor/protégé
relationship.
Table 1
Mentor Program Designs
Program Design Advantages Disadvantages

One-to-one • Close relationship between • Costly
mentor and protégé • Staff support required
• Trust develops between mentor • May need to rematch
and protégé • More mentors required
Group • Not costly • No strong one-to-one relationship

• Choice in bonding • Managing group dynamics
• Mentor/protégé absence doesn’t • Less time for any one protégé
sink program
• Less liability at supervised location
Telementoring • Rural protégés can participate • No face-to-face interaction

• Confidentiality for protégés from • Need central message site
small towns with sorting, archiving ability
• Some mentors/protégés more comfortable
• Not costly
Elements of Effective Practice

In 1989, the National Mentoring Partnership and United Way of America convened a
representative group of national and community-based nonprofit organizations with
significant experience in running mentoring programs. These leaders met regularly to
discuss issues and practices that were emerging in their mentoring programs, focusing
especially on how to promote the growth of responsible mentoring programs. They
defined responsible mentoring programs as those that meet the needs of the protégés
and the volunteer mentors.
The collaboration led to the creation of the following elements of effective practice,
which have proven to be effective in a wide range of existing mentoring settings.
Responsible mentoring
• Is a structured, one-to-one relationship or partnership that focuses on the needs of
the mentored participant
• Fosters caring and supportive relationships
• Encourages individuals to develop to their fullest potential
• Helps an individual to develop his or her own vision for the future
• Is a strategy to develop active community partnerships

A responsible mentoring program requires

• A well-defined mission and established operating principles
• Regular, consistent contact between the mentor and the participant
• Support by the family or guardian of the participant
• Additional community support services
• An established oversight organization
• Adherence to general principles of volunteerism
• Paid or volunteer staff with appropriate skills
• Written job descriptions for all staff and volunteer positions
• Adherence to EEO requirements
• Inclusiveness of racial, economic, and gender representation as appropriate to the
program
• Adequate financial and in-kind resources
• Written administrative and program procedures
• Written eligibility requirements for program participants
• Program evaluation and ongoing assessment
• A long-range plan that has community input
• Risk management and confidentiality policies
• Use of generally accepted accounting practices
• A prudent and reasonable rationale for staffing requirements that is based on
- the organization’s statement of purpose and goals,
- the needs of mentors and participants,
- community resources, and
- skill levels of staff and volunteers
Nuts and bolts checklist for mentoring programs

Does your program have the following?
1. A statement of purpose and long-range plan that includes:

✓ Who, what, where, when, why, and how activities will be performed
✓ Input from originators, staff, funders, potential volunteers, and participants
✓ Assessment of community need
✓ Realistic, attainable, and easy-to-understand operational plan
✓ Goals, objectives, and timelines for all aspects of the plan
✓ Funding and resource development plan
2. A recruitment plan for both mentors and participants that includes:

✓ Strategies that portray accurate expectations and benefits
✓ Year-round marketing and public relations
✓ Targeted outreach based on participants’ needs
✓ Volunteer opportunities beyond mentoring
✓ A basis in your program’s statement of purpose and long-range plan
3. An orientation for mentors and participants that includes:

✓ Program overview
✓ Description of eligibility, screening process and suitability requirements
✓ Level of commitment expected (time, energy, flexibility)
✓ Expectations and restrictions (accountability)
✓ Benefits and rewards they can expect
✓ A separate focus for potential mentors and participants
✓ A summary of program policies, including written reports, interviews, evaluation
and reimbursement
4. Eligibility screening for mentors and participants that includes:

✓ An application process and review
✓ A face-to-face interview and home visit
✓ Reference checks for mentors, which may include character references, child
abuse registry check, driving record checks and criminal record checks where
legally permissible
✓ Suitability criteria that relate to the program statement of purpose and needs of
the target population, including personality profile; skills identification; gender;
age; language, and racial requirements; level of education; career interests;
motivation for volunteering; and academic standing
✓ Successful completion of prematch training and orientation
5. A readiness and training curriculum for all mentors and participants that
includes:
✓ Trained staff trainers
✓ Orientation to the program and resource network, including information and
referral, other supportive services and schools
✓ Skills development as appropriate
✓ Cultural/heritage sensitivity and appreciation training
✓ Guidelines for participants on how to get the most out of the mentoring
relationship
✓ Do’s and don’ts of relationship management
✓ Job and role descriptions
✓ Confidentiality and liability information
✓ Crisis management/problem solving resources
✓ Communications skills development
✓ Ongoing sessions as necessary
6. A matching strategy that includes:

✓ A link with the program’s statement of purpose
✓ A commitment to consistency
✓ A grounding in the program’s eligibility criteria
✓ A rationale for the selection of this particular matching strategy from the wide
range of available models
✓ Appropriate criteria for matches, including gender, age, language requirements,
availability, needs, interests, preferences of volunteer and participant, life
experience, temperament
✓ A signed statement of understanding that both parties agree to the conditions
of the match and the mentoring relationship
✓ Prematch social activities between mentor and participant pools
✓ Team building activities to reduce the anxiety of the first meeting
7. A monitoring process that includes:

✓ Consistent, scheduled meetings with staff, mentors and participants
✓ A tracking system for ongoing assessment
✓ Written records
✓ Input from community partners, family, and significant others
✓ A process for managing grievances, praise, rematching, interpersonal problem
solving, and premature relationship closure

8. A support, recognition, and retention component that includes:

✓ A formal kick-off event
✓ Ongoing peer support groups for volunteers, participants, and others
✓ Ongoing training and development
✓ Relevant issue discussion and information dissemination
✓ Networking with appropriate organizations
✓ Social gatherings of different groups as needed
✓ Annual recognition and appreciation event
✓ Newsletters or other mailings to participants, mentors, supporters, and funders
9. Closure steps that include:

✓ Private and confidential exit interviews between participant and staff, mentor
and staff, and mentor and participant without staff to debrief the mentoring
relationship
✓ Clearly stated policy for future contacts
✓ Assistance for participants in defining next steps for achieving personal goals
10. An evaluation process based on:

✓ Outcome analysis of program and relationship
✓ Program criteria and statement of purpose
✓ Information needs of board, faculty, administrators, funders, community
partners, and other supporters of the program
How to Select the Best Program for Your

Organization
In selecting the best program for your organization, ask the following questions:
• What is our program’s goal?

Knowing the outcome that you want from your program gives you a head start on
choosing your program design. For example, if your goal is to expose culturally
diverse elementary students to dietetics, then group activities can be successful. A
dietetics practitioner can visit the classroom in a school with a high minority
population monthly for a food demonstration that includes the students as
participants. By doing activities and getting information, students will understand
dietetics and see that the career can be fun. On the other hand, if your goal is to
improve college students’ grade point averages and make internships more accessible
to them, then a one-to-one mentoring relationship with a dietitian or dietetic
technician is going to be most effective.
• What resources do we have?

After examining your goal, the ideal program design will become clearer. The next
step is identifying the resources you need and the resources you have available. If the
two are compatible, you are all set. However, if you do not have the resources you
need, you must revisit your goal and choose an alternative that can still work within
your parameters. For example, telementoring may be the answer for a college student
who cannot travel for a face-to-face visit. Mentoring does not have to be an “all or
nothing” proposition. You do not have to have a Cadillac in order to have a car.
It is critical to have the support of your members, faculty, and administration for the
mentoring program design. Relating the mentoring program to the organization’s

goals will aid in gaining this support. The program must not only have buy-in from
the leaders, but also buy-in from the grass roots. When everyone is in agreement, the
program will have the funding, promotion, follow through, and enthusiasm to
succeed.
Program Staffing
A program manager and program assistant can be the same person, but there are
enough responsibilities to accommodate two positions.
Program manager job description

The mentoring program manager should:
• Establish the mentoring initiative and be responsible for its overall operations.
• Schedule and attend regular and special meetings necessary to the operation of the
mentoring initiative.
• Establish and manage the mentoring initiative’s annual budget; oversee the fiscal
reporting process.
• Oversee mentor and protégé recruitment, training, screening, matching,
recognition, and other aspects of the mentoring process.
• Oversee relationship monitoring and documentation process; be available to help
solve problems that arise either in the process or between the mentor and protégé.
• Share information and evaluation results with ADA and the public, as necessary.
Program assistant job description

The mentoring program assistant can:
• Provide clerical and administrative support, including report and letter writing;
data entry; record, equipment and supplies maintenance; and board support.
• Establish and maintain currency of mentor/protégé documentation format.
• Keep all materials for training current and available.
• Check mentor references and document results.
• Help monitor mentoring pairs and document all contacts with them.
• Offer front-line coverage for telephones and visitors.
• Handle mail distribution (incoming and outgoing).

3. Recruitment and Screening
of Mentors
Marketing Your Program

In recruiting mentors for the Building Our Future program, we are looking for quality
people who are skilled in the dietetics field, who are committed to it in their careers,
who really want to share their knowledge with young people, and who come from a
culturally diverse background. Certainly before you can recruit such people, you must
get their attention. You have many options at your disposal, and you can use them
separately or in combination with one another. These options include telephone con-
tact, e-mail messages, advertising, covering the program in your newsletter, and
pitching your local media to do a feature. Some suggestions and sample materials fol-
low.
One helpful hint is to have a distinctive logo, graphic layout, and specific colors to
present a consistent, recognizable message. Having a slogan that sticks in people’s
minds also delivers your message. Use these elements on your stationary, envelopes,
fliers, and brochures to command attention.
Make sure everyone in your organization knows about the mentoring initiative and
your need for mentors. Do you sponsor an inclusive event? Use it to make a splashy
announcement! Do you have a newsletter? Use it to run an article, photograph and/or
“advertisement” about the program! Do you have an e-mail network? Use it to send
the message! Think of any communication tool at your disposal, and use it to get the
word out.
Letting others know about this mentoring initiative and its importance to the future
of dietetics gives them time to absorb its value. Communicating the benefits
beforehand is much more effective than contacting those with no background, and
your recruiters will thank you for making their job that much easier.
Recruitment Strategy
Influential leaders can help

Look to your board of directors, faculty, or administrators to recruit mentors. Who
among them has the most clout? Whose name is recognizable? Who can be most
persuasive when asking for help? Who has already been the most supportive of this
mentoring initiative? These are the people you should invite to help recruit your pool
of mentors.
Make the value of the mentoring initiative clear to your board members, faculty, or
administration, and give them the information they need to make their calls.
Mentoring offers immense advantages to student—a mentor can provide real-life
perspectives about the dietetics field, help academically, and introduce students into
a network of dietetics professionals. It also has value for the mentor—students can
share their enthusiasm and fresh ideas.

But, a mentoring initiative has value beyond the personal gains for protégés and their
mentors. It is an investment in the future of dietetics as a whole. By guiding and
supporting minorities in choosing dietetics as a life-long career, this program will
develop the diverse talent that is needed to serve the equally diverse population
throughout America.
Additional Resources
After the first mentoring programs are implemented, ADA will evaluate the results and
provide members with information to use in recruitment. You may have testimonials
from mentors and protégés that will be helpful, as well. In addition, former mentors
may be willing to help recruit a new group of mentors.
In the meantime, the National Mentoring Partnership’s website, www.mentoring.org,

provides information on numerous topics, including recruitment, and connects users
with local mentoring partnerships that may have additional useful information and
materials.

SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR RECRUITMENT
TELEPHONE CALL
Hello, (FIRST NAME),
This is (FULL NAME). I’m a member of the (Insert organization name). I am calling
you about a wonderful investment opportunity, and it doesn’t have a thing to do with
money. It simply involves your time and talent.
You’re probably aware that the field of dietetics is lacking in minority professionals —
to the point that we are not able to serve people in (NAME OF STATE) the way we
should. So, we’ve established a mentoring program that introduces dietetics to young
people and matches professionals like you with minorities who could consider
dietetics as a career.
Obviously, the students get to see what dietetics is all about, and they’ll benefit from
a relationship with you. We want them to understand that, while dietetics takes a lot
of work, it is a rewarding career with many opportunities to grow. The bottom line is
that we want to recruit culturally diverse students into our field.
I think you’ll enjoy the experience, too. [INSERT PERSONAL MENTORING EXPERIENCE
AND HOW REWARDING IT HAS BEEN.] I like hearing about what students are learning
in school, and I like giving them a taste of reality.
So, I’m asking you today to be a mentor. You would commit to one school year, and
depending on the type of program, you may be able to mentor in person, or you
might participate in group mentoring or mentoring by e-mail. We would give you a
little training ahead of time to make it that much easier.
Do you have any questions? [ANSWER QUESTIONS.] So, what do you say? Can I count
you in?
Used by permission of Shayne Schneider, Mentors Unlimited.

SAMPLE RECRUITMENT FLYER/ADVERTISEMENT
WE ARE BUILDING
OUR FUTURE!
Can You Help?
The American Dietetics Association has launched a

mentoring program to increase cultural diversity in
the field of dietetics. We need to expand the cultural
diversity in our profession so we can match the
cultural diversity of the nation and serve all
Americans to the best of our abilities.
(INSERT A PICTURE
OF A CULTURALLY DIVERSE MEMBER)
To succeed, we need mentors! Please share your

talent and experience with tomorrow’s dietetics
professionals. If you are called, say, “Yes!”.
If you want to volunteer,
[GO TO website? INCLUDE A PHONE NUMBER?]

SAMPLE RECRUITMENT LETTER
Dear (FIRST NAME),
I am writing you about a wonderful investment opportunity, and it doesn’t have a

thing to do with money. It simply involves your time and talent.
You’re probably aware that the field of dietetics is lacking in minority professionals —
to the point that we are not able to serve people in (NAME OF STATE) the way we
should. So, we’ve established a mentoring program that introduces dietetics to young
people and matches professionals like you with minorities who could consider
dietetics as a career.
Through this program, students will learn about dietetics, and they will benefit from a
relationship with you. We want them to understand that, while dietetics takes a lot of
work, it is a rewarding career with many opportunities to grow. The bottom line is
that we want to recruit minority students into our field.
I think you would enjoy the experience, too. I certainly have. I like hearing about
what students are learning in school and being able to share my experience with
them.
Would you consider joining me as a mentor? You would commit to one school year,
and depending on the type of program, you may be able to mentor in person, or you
might participate in group mentoring or mentoring by e-mail. You would receive
training ahead of time to make it that much easier.
I hope you will say “yes” to this investment in the future of dietetics. I look forward
to talking with you in the days ahead.
Sincerely,
[NAME]
[TITLE]
[ORGANIZATION]

Recruitment and Screening of Mentors
Eligibility Criteria for Screening Mentors

The screening process is one of the most important elements of a successful
mentoring initiative. Obviously, screening is conducted for the protégé’s protection.
In the Building Our Future mentoring initiative, as in many programs, screening is the
key to making compatible matches between mentors and their protégés, so the
relationships have a better chance of success right from the start. The more we know
about the mentor’s personality, what he or she can offer in the relationship, and what
he or she expects from the match, the closer we will come to making everyone happy.
Mentors should
• Be successful, experienced leaders in the dietetics field.
• Understand dietetics from a broad perspective in addition to their own specialties.
• Have strong verbal communication skills.
• Be enthusiastic about working with young people.
• Be culturally sensitive role models.
• Have the time and be willing to commit that time to the relationship.
Timing the Screening Process

The screening process includes interviewing, reference checking, and, in some
instances, criminal record checking. You may wish to screen mentors prior to training;
but other mentoring programs have found that some mentors screen themselves out of
the program once they have been through training, or fail to shop up for the training.
In those cases, the time and expense of interviewing and screening have been largely
wasted. It may be preferable to invite all interested volunteers to attend training
prior to any screening activities. That way, they will be able to “self-screen” at
training, and you know that everyone who takes the next step is a serious candidate.
Either sequence can work, but bear in mind that it may be most efficient to conduct
the training first.
Interview Phase
The interview phase is the best opportunity to get to know potential mentors. First,
you can discover which candidates will be effective. Second, you can find out the
characteristics that will help make a successful match between mentor and protégé.
Getting a profile of your protégés can be helpful in this process, as well. The more
you know about your mentors and protégés, the better matches you will make.
Put your applicants at ease in this part of the process by telling them that the
interview is designed to help you make better matches, not to screen them out of the
program. (If someone needs to be removed, the reference check generally takes care
of that.) On the following pages are a sample mentor profile form and format for
interviewing potential mentors. These forms should be kept in each mentor’s file.

SAMPLE MENTOR PROFILE
Name ________________________________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________
Phone (w)___________________________ (h) ______________________________
Fax __________________________________________________________________
E-mail ________________________________________________________________
Occupation ____________________________________________________________
Title/Organization ______________________________________________________
Education Background __________________________________________________
Summary Job Description ________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
I would prefer to be matched with a: (check one)

■ High School Student
■ College Student, Undeclared Major
■ College Student, Declared Dietetics Major
The areas I am most interested in helping a student are:

(check as many as you wish)
■ career guidance
■ academic guidance (course selection, etc.)
■ time management
■ job search
■ networking
■ resume preparation
■ job-seeking skills
■ interviewing skills
■ personal issues
■ sharing my own experiences
I have ________ hours a month to devote to mentoring.
I would prefer to mentor (check all that apply):

■ In person ■ E-mail ■ Phone ■ Combination of in-person and other
My best time to meet with a student is generally:

■ Morning ■ Midday ■ Evening
continued

SAMPLE MENTOR PROFILE (CONT.)
I am available:
■ During the week ■ Weekends ■ Either weekday or weekends
What type of personality are you most comfortable with?
What do you hope your student will gain from this relationship?
What do you hope to gain from this relationship?
In matching you with a student, is there anything else we should take into account?
Personal references:
Please provide names and daytime phone numbers for two personal references:
1. __________________________________ Phone: ___________________________
2. __________________________________ Phone: ___________________________
Thank You

SAMPLE INTERVIEW FORMAT - MENTOR
What questions do you have about the program?
Why would you like to be a mentor?
When you were in school, did you have a mentor? If so, what kinds of things did that
person do for you?
Tell me a little bit about other volunteer activities you have been involved with. What
did you like? What did you not like?
What kinds of extracurricular activities were you involved in during school?
What, if any, has been your recent experience with young people (church, volunteer
activities, own children, etc.)?
Realistically, how much time do you have to devote to a student?
What type of student would you most enjoy working with?
What problems do you anticipate? What could go wrong? [Talking about potential
problems gives candidates a chance to think ahead and avoid pitfalls. It also gives
you a chance to tell them about the kinds of support they can expect if something
does go wrong.]
Is there anything else that might help us match you with the most appropriate
student for you?
Interviewer’s comments:
Date ________________________________________________
Potential mentor’s name ________________________________________________
Interviewer’s name ________________________________________________

SAMPLE STUDENT PROFILE
Name ________________________________________________________________
Address ______________________________________________________________
School (if different) ____________________________________________________
Phone: (h) ________________________ (school) ____________________________
Fax __________________________________________________________________
E-mail ________________________________________________________________
School Attending________________________________________________________
I am in my: (check one)

■ first year ■ second year ■ third year ■ fourth year
Expected date of completion ___________________________
My program is a (check one)

■ high school ■ bachelor’s degree ■ master’s degree ■ certificate program
My area of specialty is __________________________________________________
I am also interested in __________________________________________________
The areas where I would most like help from a mentor are:
(check as many as you wish)
■ career guidance
■ academic guidance (course selection, etc.)
■ time management
■ job search
■ networking
■ resume writing
■ job-seeking skills
■ interviewing skills
■ personal issues
■ sharing the mentor’s own experiences
I have _________ hours a month to devote to mentoring.
I would prefer to meet my mentor (check all that apply):

■ In person ■ E-mail ■ Phone ■ Combination of in-person and other
I would prefer a mentor who is located (check one):

■ Where I go to school ■ Near my home
My best time to meet with a mentor is generally:

■ Morning ■ Midday ■ Evening
continued

SAMPLE STUDENT PROFILE (CONT.)
I am available:
■ During the week ■ Weekends ■ Either weekday or weekends
What type of personality are you most comfortable with?
What do you hope to gain from this relationship?
What do you hope your mentor will gain from this relationship?
In matching you with a mentor, is there anything else we should take into account?
Emergency Contact
Name ________________________________________________________________
Relationship __________________________________________________________
Phone ________________________________________________________________
Thank You

SAMPLE INTERVIEW FORMAT – PROTÉGÉ
What questions do you have about the program?
Why would you like to be a protégé?
Have you ever had a mentor before? If so, what kinds of things did that person do for
you?
What kinds of extracurricular activities are you involved in?
Realistically, how much time do you have to devote to this relationship?
What type of mentor would you most enjoy working with?
What problems do you anticipate? What could go wrong? [Talking about potential
problems gives protégés a chance to think ahead and avoid pitfalls. It also gives us a
chance to tell them about the kinds of support they can expect if something does go
wrong.]
Is there anything else that might help us match you with the most appropriate
mentor for you?
Interviewer’s comments:
Date __________________________________________________
Protégé’s name __________________________________________________
Interviewer’s name __________________________________________________

Reference Check Process

A reference check can be used for the protégé’s protection, but for your purposes, the
reference check gives you another tool to help make better mentor/protégé matches.
Another creative use for the reference check is that it can be a good recruiting tool.
If the reference is a dietetics professional, it is possible that he/she may also be
willing to mentor.
Reference checks should be done by people who know the potential mentor well — a
coworker or friend, for example. As done with the applicants, people called as
references should be told that the process is not so much about screening people as
it is about getting to know them better.
On the following page is a sample format for documenting reference checks. At least
two personal references should be checked, and the completed forms should be kept
in the mentor’s file.

SAMPLE REFERENCE CHECK FORMAT
Identify yourself and explain that the applicant has given this person as a reference
for volunteer work as a mentor. Describe your program.
How long have you known the applicant?
In what capacity do you know him/her?
How would you describe this person?
Have you had the opportunity to see the applicant interact with young people? If so,
describe the experience.
Are you aware of any reason that the applicant should not be paired with a protégé in
this program?
Do you feel that the applicant would do well in the mentoring role I have described?
If so, what type of young person do you think the applicant would best relate to?
Is there anything else you can tell me that would help us make the best match for
this applicant?
Thank you. Is there additional information you would like about our program?
Date ______________________________________________
Potential mentor’s name ______________________________________________
Interviewer’s name ______________________________________________

Criminal Record Checks

A criminal check of potential mentors, conducted with your local police department,
will protect your organization and will screen out people who clearly are inappropriate
to become mentors. Until recently, many programs avoided police checks because they
were time-consuming and, depending upon the jurisdiction, costly. Moreover,
mentoring program managers were afraid that volunteers might be put off by having
to undergo a police check. However, several high-profile cases of mentors’
endangering their protégés, including cases of sexual abuse, have awakened concern
among the general public, and parents in particular. More and more programs have
determined that it is best practice to conduct a police check on anyone mentoring a
minor, and today’s volunteers understand and accept the need for this screening.
You must have the potential mentor’s written permission to contact the police. After
you have received the applicant’s police report, keep it in his or her file.
Procedure for Handling Questionable Records

There is no question that anyone who has committed a sex-related or drug-dealing
offense must be disqualified from the ADA Building Our Future initiative. However,
criminal record checks often show offenses that may or may not have an impact on
the applicant’s ability to mentor. Likewise, certain questionable offenses may or may
not place your organization in legal jeopardy. Refer any queries to your attorney, get
a written response, and keep it in your files.
An example would be a conviction for a 25-year-old driving while intoxicated. Was the
offense committed when the applicant was in college? What were the circumstances?
Was it an isolated offense, or do you have reason to suspect an ongoing problem?
With the help of an attorney, you must be prepared to assess this kind of situation
and make a judgment call about an applicant’s suitability for mentoring.
Making the Cut

As soon as you have completed the screening process and approved your pool of
mentors, send them a letter of congratulations. The letter should include:
• A message of welcome from your organization
• A reminder of the date(s) you have scheduled for mentor training
• A mention of how critical it is for them to attend training, especially because it
will make the mentoring relationship easier for them and more effective for their
protégés

4. Training, Matching, and
Monitoring Mentors and
Protégés
Goals for Training

Training for mentors gives them a chance to self-screen — to examine what is going
to happen in the mentoring relationship and to ask himself or herself, “Is being a
mentor really for me?”
Second, training allows mentors to become comfortable with the structure of the
Building Our Future program. It teaches them where to begin, how to proceed, and
where to turn should any problems arise during their mentor/protégé relationship.
Third, training gives the program manager and mentors a chance to get acquainted
with one another so their future interactions can be more personable.
Training for protégés may sound strange to anyone who has not been associated with
a mentoring program. Why would a protégé need to be trained? Because, contrary to
what people tend to think about mentoring pairs, it is the protégé who drives the
relationship.
When protégés attend training, it is an opportunity for them to become fully

informed about the commitment they are making and to understand how they can
make the best use of the mentoring relationship. Often, young people focus heavily
on the advice they will get from their mentors. They think less about the access their
mentors can give them — in this case — to others in the dietetics field and the
support their mentors can give them by being their advocates. Training also should
help protégés understand what they must do to inspire mentors to go the extra mile
on their behalf (Table 2).
Look for training resources through a local mentoring partnership, a local mentoring
organization such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and the National Mentoring Partnership’s
website, www.mentoring.org.
Table 2
At a Glance – Why Train Protégés?
Because protégés drive most relationships

Because young people should be empowered through understanding their role and their mentor’s role
Because protégés will gain most from their relationships if they know what to do and what not to do
To ensure the young people have a clear understanding of the mentor/protégé relationship
To ensure that young people understand the program design and expectations
To ensure that young people are willing participants
To ensure that young people recognize the signs of trouble and know where to turn
To allow the program manager to share information about young people’s expectations with mentors

How to Use the Sample Training Materials

The following sample agendas and handouts can be used in the mentor and protégé
training sessions. Additional handouts helpful to mentors can be found in Section II
of this toolkit, under the tab specific to an age group. For example, the “Challenges
Faced in the Freshman and Sophomore Year” will be useful to mentors of undeclared
majors, and the “Developmental Aspects of Adolescence” will help mentors of college
students. Items that may be included in training are highlighted in bold italics in the
Table of Contents, so you can find what you need quickly.
The first handout, “The Three A’s of Mentoring: Advice, Access and Advocacy” reminds
trainees of the key roles of a mentor. They can write notes under each of the 3 A’s.
The second handout, on ranking job priorities, is a good getting-acquainted activity

for mentors of any student in high school or older. Define the terms (authority is
when you can tell other people what to do, autonomy is when you get to make your
own decisions, competence is the satisfaction you get from doing anything well, etc.)
and ask the trainees to rank them in order of priority. Emphasize that there are no
right or wrong answers. The answers depend on individual personalities and someone’s
stage in life. It’s fun to compare notes with a new protégé, and see what their
priorities are. A mentor can discuss ways in which the practice of dietetics might fit
well with the student’s priorities.
Sensitivity to cultural diversity is critical to the success of a cross-cultural mentoring

relationship. Due to the demographics in the profession, it may often be the case that
a white mentor will be matched with a minority student. We do not want to
stereotype any minority group with certain group behaviors. However, we want every
mentor to be aware that for any given behavior, there are cultural as well as
individual elements. For example, a shy person may speak very softly. But in some
cultures, it is the norm for all communication to take place in a low voice. Likewise,
eye contact or lack of it may be the cultural norm. You can’t expect a firm handshake
from someone whose culture favors bowing, and has never learned to shake hands
“American-style.”
The cultural diversity handout identifies some common behaviors and attitudes that
may be misunderstood. Invite the volunteers to think of other such behaviors, and
discuss ways they can learn to better understand their protégé’s cultural background.
Also, encourage participants to identify at least three behaviors of their own that
they think of as “cultural.” Would a person from another culture know that these
were cultural norms, or might they interpret these behaviors as personal quirks?
The “Do’s and Don’ts” may look like mere common sense; but this list has been
developed after years of observing mentor/protégé pairs that work, as well as those
that fail. Try to flesh out the “do’s and don’ts” with concrete examples.
Following the handouts for mentor training are handouts that you can use in protégé
training sessions. The first handout is a worksheet that the student can fill out to
help focus on his/her own definition of mentoring, and on the specific things a
mentor might do. It also reminds the protégé to focus on what the mentor might
need and expect in return. You can have students discuss their answers in small
groups, followed by a large group debriefing.

SAMPLE AGENDA FOR MENTOR
TRAINING SESSION
Topics for Discussion
Welcome and Introductions

Participants and mentor program committee/volunteer leaders
Program Overview
Program design and goals
Definition of the Mentor/Protégé Relationship

Voluntary relationship in which the mentor serves as advisor, advocate and
friend
Functions of a Mentor
Listening, teaching skills, advocacy, exposure to opportunities, increasing
protégé’s visibility, sharing one’s own experience and perspectives
Getting Started
Self-assessment of motivation, expectations, background, assets, limitations
and fears, communication skills
Cultural Diversity
Challenges Faced by Students
Establishing Mutual Expectations for Process and Outcome
Setting Goals
Designing a Work Plan

Frequency and structure of meetings, tasks to be accomplished, target dates
Pitfalls
Do’s and Don’ts

THE THREE A’S OF MENTORING
• ADVICE
• ACCESS
• ADVOCACY

WHAT COUNTS ON THE JOB:
RANKING PRIORITIES
RANK EACH OF THE FOLLOWING ACCORDING TO ITS

IMPORTANCE TO YOU.
AUTHORITY
AUTONOMY
COMPETENCE
CREATIVITY
SECURITY

CULTURAL AWARENESS
For each of the following behaviors, list possible cultural

variations:
• Eye contact
• Handshake
• Tone of voice
• Comfortable physical space between two people
• Inclusion of a new person into a group
• Greeting strangers on the street (yes, no, how?)
• Direct vs. indirect responses to difficult questions
• Treatment of elders (forms of address, etc.)
• Values and attitudes regarding the roles of males and females
• Family values
• Food habits
• Others

MENTOR DO’S AND DON’TS
Do
• Show respect.
• Listen attentively.
• Give honest feedback.
• Keep appointments.
• State clear expectations.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Learn from your protégé.
• Remember what it was like to be a student.
• Let your protégé know how you’re gaining.
• Remember: a mentor always sets an example.
• Start and end on a positive note.
• Have fun.
Don’t
• Intimidate protégé.
• Jump to conclusions.
• Sugarcoat negatives.
• Act preoccupied.
• Promise what you can’t deliver.
• Reveal confidences.
• Be afraid to explore differences.
• Assume that what works for you works for everyone.
• Give personal advice.
• Put off meetings repeatedly.

SAMPLE AGENDA FOR PROTÉGÉ TRAINING
SESSION
Purpose: To make the protégé familiar with the

mentor/protégé relationship and comfortable
with the protégé role.
Topics for Discussion
Welcome and Introductions

Participants and mentor program committee/volunteer leaders
Program Design
Program design and goals
Definition of “Mentor”
How to Get the Most Out of Your Mentoring Relationship
Setting Goals and Establishing a Plan
Do’s and Don’ts

WHAT IS A MENTOR?
A mentor is (fill in your definition):
What can a mentor do for you?
1.
2.
3.
What does a mentor need/expect from you?

THE THREE A’S OF MENTORING
ADVICE
ACCESS
ADVOCACY

PROTÉGÉ DO’S AND DON’TS
Do
• Talk to your mentor.

• Return phone calls.
• Suggest activities you would enjoy.
• Let your mentor know how they can help you.
• Be honest about things you want to do and things you don’t want to do.
• Show up for meetings…on time!
• Call in advance if you have to cancel a meeting.
• Let you mentor know that you appreciate what he/she is doing.
• Show interest in your mentor.
• Explore differences between you and your mentor (age, race, etc.).
Don’t
• Fail to return phone calls.

• Stand your mentor up when you have a meeting scheduled.
• Agree to do something you don’t want to do.
• Wait for your mentor to make every move first.
• Let your mentor set goals for you.
• Allow yourself to be intimidated.
• Avoid communicating about problems.
• Expect your mentor to buy you things.
• Bring friends along when you are meeting your mentor.
• Allow your mentor to touch you in an inappropriate fashion…ever!

Training, Matching, and Monitoring Mentors and Protégés
Criteria for Matching Mentors

and Protégés
Matching your mentors with your protégés is the magic moment when you use all the
information you have gathered to create the best mentoring pairs possible. Above
everything else, you should rely on two things—personality compatibility and what
participants expect from their relationships.
The personality factor

Mentors should not be allowed to say they will be happy to mentor whomever needs
him or her the most. Encourage people to be honest about whether they would rather
work with a shy student or an outgoing student, a creative student or a pragmatic
student, etc. Your program needs to make the best matches, not just any matches.
Plus, experience shows that there are enough different types of people to
accommodate everyone’s needs.
Common expectations
You may be able to match people with the same professional interests so they will
share common ground regarding process and outcome.
You also want to consider the time your participants have for this relationship, what
kinds of activities they are willing to experience and what they are going to call
“success” when the year is over. Knowing these expectations can help you make
better matches. In other words, if you have a mentor who is willing to move
mountains, then you want to match him or her with a student who wants to go along
for the ride.
What about gender?

Certain mentoring situations require same-sex pairs. However, in the Building Our
Future initiative, as with other career related mentoring programs, gender is not a
factor and should not play a dominant role in matching your mentors with your
protégés. However, keep in mind that opposite-sex pairs can present challenges. Use
your best judgment in recruiting mentors younger than 30 to work with high school-
and college-age students.
Notifying Mentors and Protégés

After you have matched protégés with mentors, send a letter of notification to all.
Make sure you include the mentor’s profile in the protégé’s letter and vice versa. Each
should have the chance to know something about the other before their first
conversation. A sample letter and profile forms follow.

SAMPLE MATCH NOTIFICATION LETTER
Dear [NAME],
I am delighted to tell you that you have been matched with [NAME AND TITLE (for
mentors)/SCHOOL AND YEAR (for protégés)] as your mentor/protégé in the [INSERT
ORGANIZATION’S NAME] Building Our Future mentoring initiative.
Based on your personalities, common interests, and expectations, we believe this

match will lead to a fun and rewarding mentoring relationship. To help in the “getting
to know you” phase, I am enclosing your mentor’s/protégé’s profile with this letter. It
includes a way to contact your partner, and I encourage you to communicate with
him/her soon.
As you know from your training, we are here to answer questions or provide help at
any time. We also will be in touch periodically to hear about your mentoring
experiences.
All the best as you begin on this exciting journey with your mentor/protégé!
Sincerely,
NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION

SAMPLE PARENTAL PERMISSION AND
WAIVER OF LIABILITY
(for High School Students)
The undersigned, as the parent/guardian of the participant and as a condition to the

participant’s enrollment in the Mentor Program (hereafter “the Program”), hereby
agrees to release and hold harmless [Sponsoring Organization], its agents, volunteers,
current and former directors, officers, employees, successors, assigns and legal
representatives from all claims, causes of action, damages, suits or demands of any
kind or nature whatsoever, in law or equity, known or unknown, contingent or
liquidated, arising out of the participant’s involvement in the Program. Further, the
undersigned acknowledges that this release waives any legal rights the undersigned
and the participant may have against [sponsoring organization], its agents,
volunteers, successors, assigns and legal representatives for any injury or loss which
the participant may sustain in connection with or as a result of participation in the
Program. The undersigned also acknowledges that [sponsoring organization] has
explained the policies regarding meetings and visits with the Mentors and
participants, and accepts that, in no event, will [sponsoring organization] be held
responsible for any consequences of the participant’s involvement in the Program.
I, Parent/Guardian (please circle) give my permission for _______________________

____________________________________ to participate in the Mentor Program.
____________________________________
Parent/Guardian’s name printed
____________________________________
Signature of Parent/Guardian
____________________________________
Date

Monitoring/Support for Mentor/

Protégé Pairs
Keeping track of your mentoring relationships is important to their health and to the
life of your program. Periodic communication gives the mentor and protégé the
chance to affirm their progress, as well as ask for help as needed. Knowing what is
happening with your mentoring pairs gives your program accountability and a way to
evaluate its effectiveness. This information is crucial to the continued funding of the
initiative and to the ultimate realization of your goals.
For the first three months, make sure the program coordinator or assistant calls the
mentors and protégés once each month. The coordinator should have a check-off form
with questions such as those on the sample Activity Report Form on the next page.
The conversation should end with a discussion of whether the mentor/protégé agreed
to do anything requiring follow-through for his/her next meeting. This gives the
coordinator the chance to offer ideas, provide resources, if necessary, and encourage
the mentor/protégé to fulfill his/her promise.

SAMPLE ACTIVITY REPORT FORM
Mentor Name ___________________________________________________________
Protégé Name ___________________________________________________________
Coordinator Name _______________________________________________________
Date of Contact _________________________________________________________
Have you and your mentor/protégé talked on the phone, e-mailed, met in person?
Have you talked about course choices the protégé is making for school?
Have you talked about time management?
Have you discussed the protégé’s career direction?
Have you talked about places the protégé might go or people he/she might meet
relative to the dietetics field?
Have you discussed how you will keep in touch and how often?
Other Issues/Comments/Notes for follow-up:

Troubleshooting
It is not unusual during your monitoring calls for mentors and protégés to mention
problems that have come up in their relationship. Program coordinators then have the
chance to troubleshoot the situation.
The most common problem is having either the mentor or the protégé not be
responsive to communication efforts. In that case, the coordinator could call the
person not communicating and find out why he/she is not following through with the
mentoring commitment. Depending on the answer, the coordinator then must explain
the situation to the person not at fault and ask for patience or terminate the
relationship.
Problems also arise when expectations are not being met. Typically, these are the
expectations that were not divulged to the program coordinator or in the relationship.
Perhaps the protégé expects that his/her mentor will get him/her an internship or the
mentor expects that his/her protégé is going to perform certain tasks as part of the
experience. If no one has discussed these expectations, problems are bound to arise.
Again, the program coordinator can help the pair solve their problems or, in certain
situations, intervene to get things back on track.
A program coordinator with tact and diplomacy skills is important. Possessing a bit of
wisdom does not hurt, either.
Terminating Relationships
If a mentor and protégé agree that their match is not going to work, you need to
terminate their relationship.
When the termination is voluntary, simply send a letter, thanking each for
participating in the program and saying that their relationship has ended. You also
can assess, with the mentor and the protégé, whether they want to be rematched for
another mentoring opportunity.
A mentoring relationship can be terminated involuntarily too. This happens when

there is a consistent lack of communication between the mentor and protégé or when
your program coordinator cannot get in touch with the mentor or the protégé for
more than a month. At that time, send a letter to the person at fault, saying that if
the program coordinator does not get a call or e-mail within 10 business days, the
relationship will be terminated.
Termination is the only alternative, of course, when either the mentor or the protégé
exhibits inappropriate behavior. Harassment of any kind would be considered
inappropriate. So would sexual behavior or innuendo and ethical or professional
violations.

SAMPLE TERMINATION LETTER
Dear [NAME],
Thank you for your willingness to be a mentor/protégé in the [INSERT ORGANIZATION

NAME] Building Our Future mentoring initiative. However, because of the
circumstances of the match, the relationship with your mentor/protégé has been
terminated.
If you wish to discuss your continued involvement in the program, please do not
hesitate to call me.
Sincerely,
NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION

5. Evaluation, Recognition and
Follow Up
Establishing Measures of Success

Most mentoring programs focus more on process than outcome. Yet, programs are
evaluated based on outcome, and they are accountable for outcome. So, before your
program begins, you must establish measures of success, which are based on your
goal(s). Ask the question, “What outcome(s) do we want and expect?” Then, make
sure your objectives support the outcome(s) you have chosen.
Note that your evaluation must be practical, based on the size and scope of your
program. There is a balance you must find between gathering the necessary
information and trying to evaluate every aspect of the process. Again, ask what
outcome(s) you want and why.
Documenting Mentor/Protégé Activities

The program coordinator or assistant should contact mentors and protégés on a
regular basis, ask questions about the mentoring relationship, and record the answers.
When mentoring high school students, there are liability issues, and you must
document that you have monitored those relationships. Keep all of your written
records, and make sure your documentation continues from the beginning of the
program to its end.
This process is much preferred over sending out a survey, which experience has shown
may not be returned. A written survey can be useful at the end of the mentoring
cycle, however, especially if mentors and protégés are able to complete it at the
closing meeting or event.
The following is a sample documentation form.

SAMPLE PARTICIPANT EVALUATION FORM
NAME____________________________________________ DATE________________
Check if you are a: ■ mentor ■ protégé
Please answer each of the following questions on a scale of 1 - 5, with 1 being

the least and 5 the greatest.
l. Overall satisfaction with the program 1 2 3 4 5
2. Satisfaction with mentor/protégé 1 2 3 4 5
3. Does the program benefit you in your current daily work? 1 2 3 4 5
4. Does the program deepen your understanding of

the dietetics profession? 1 2 3 4 5
5. Does the program broaden your perspectives? 1 2 3 4 5
6. Satisfaction with individual support from program

manager or coordinator 1 2 3 4 5
Please indicate the frequency of your meetings and other contacts.
7. Frequency of meetings: (check one)

■ less than monthly ■ monthly ■ twice monthly ■ weekly
8. Frequency of other contact, such as telephone: (check one)

■ less than monthly ■ monthly ■ twice monthly ■ weekly
9. Other contact was by (indicate all that apply):

■ phone ■ e-mail ■ written memos ■ other (specify)______
10. Where have you held your meetings? (Indicate all that apply.)
■ office ■ on site ■ off site ■ lunch ■ dinner ■ other (specify)
11. What was your goal for this program? ___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
continued

Please answer yes or no to the following questions:
Yes No
12. Are your goals being met? ■ ■
13. For protégés: Has your mentor provided the following:

For mentors: Have you provided:
a. Feedback on goals/objectives ■ ■
b. Feedback on strategies for problem solving ■ ■
c. Information about the profession ■ ■
d. Advice on technical problems ■ ■
e. Advice on career development ■ ■
f. Recommendations on training or education ■ ■
g. Advice on personal presentation ■ ■
h. Sharing of own experience ■ ■
i. Information on job opportunities ■ ■
j. Information on internship opportunities ■ ■
k. Introductions to other people ■ ■
l. Recommendations to other people ■ ■
m. Social interaction ■ ■
14. Would you recommend this program to others? ■ ■
Please share comments or suggestions to improve the mentor program.

Evaluation, Recognition and Follow Up
Measuring Outcomes
For the Building Our Future diversity mentoring program, a combination of
quantitative and qualitative measures is suggested. Examples of quantitative measures
would be whether student grade point averages improved or whether students got
internships in dietetics or related fields. Examples of qualitative measures would be
whether mentor pairs/groups got together and how often, as well as what activities
they completed.
Having both kinds of information will give you more insight into your program. You
will discover which variables within the program are most valuable. You also will find
out whether participants are happy, which is not a program goal but is important to
the retention of mentors. Ultimately, having both kinds information will allow you to
improve your program, as well as gather success stories and statistics.
Mentor Recognition
Everyone likes to be thanked. They also like to be recognized. We often take for
granted that mentors give their time and talents in return for the joy they receive
from the mentoring experience. Indeed, they are emotionally rewarded for their
mentoring commitment. However, public recognition goes a long way toward
recruiting, retaining, and motivating mentors because, by agreeing to volunteer, they
become leaders in their fields. They become known for giving back. They are
identified as contributing to the growth of the profession.
Never let an opportunity for recognition pass you by. For example, send a letter of
recognition from the highest-ranking person in your organization to mentors as soon
as their yearly commitment ends. Use an annual meeting or event to recognize your
mentors.
Place an advertisement of recognition in local newspapers and magazines, if your

budget allows. Recognize mentors in your newsletter with articles about their
mentoring activities. Work with your local media to present features about your
mentors and protégés on television or in print. Let ADA staff know about your
outstanding mentor pairs so they can be promoted in industry trade publications and
elsewhere.
Give mentors certificates and other tokens that they can put in their offices. And
remember that something enjoyable, such as a mug with the words, “Thank you for
mentoring!” and the ADA logo will make the program visible to others.

SAMPLE LETTER OF RECOGNITION
Dear [NAME]:
On behalf of the [ORGANIZATION NAME], I want to thank you for your outstanding
efforts as a mentor in our Building the Future Diversity Mentoring Program over this
past year. You have made a significant contribution both to the future of your
protégé, to the dietetics profession, and to the community at large.
As a busy, successful professional, there are many demands on your time. Yet you
have taken the time and energy to reach out to a young culturally diverse person, to
help smooth their path to a successful career in dietetics. I am sure you know how
much this means to your protégé. The kind of help you offered can be a life-shaping
experience.
Your focus was on your protégé, and rightly so. But there is also the big picture—you
have made a contribution to our profession by encouraging a minority person to enter
the field, thus helping us reach our goal of a more diverse body of dietetics
professionals. You have also helped your community. After all, we know that the
overall health of the whole community will be best served by dietetics professionals
who represent the cultural diversity in that community.
Again, thank you for helping to reach one of the American Dietetic Association’s key
strategic goals: to increase diversity in our profession. We could not reach this goal
without you. We are grateful for your vision, leadership and energy.
Sincerely,
NAME
TITLE
ORGANIZATION

Evaluation, Recognition and Follow Up
Long-Term Follow Up
As part of your evaluation process, make sure that you stay in touch with your
protégés long term.
Before they graduate from high school, know where they are attending college. During
and after college, confirm a permanent address. Contact protégés within the month
following their college graduation to find out whether they have an internship or job,
where they are working and whether their address has changed or is going to change.
If a protégé has not gotten an internship or job, keep in contact monthly until
he/she is employed. This contact will provide support and the encouragement he/she
might need to remain committed to the dietetics profession.
One-Year Questionnaire
One year after college graduation, send protégés a short questionnaire with questions
such as:
• Where are you interning/working?
• What kind of work are you doing?
• Are you still in touch with your mentor?
• Did you learn anything from your mentor that is helping you succeed in your
internship/job? If so, what?
Engaging in long-term follow-up gives you additional evaluative information that can
be useful in promoting your mentoring initiative, in recruiting mentors, in grooming
former protégés to be future mentors and in working with the media. Staying in touch
long term also creates a network of mentors and protégés who can continue being
helpful to one another professionally long after their mentoring commitment ends.

6. Select Resources on
Mentoring
Texts, Monographs and Journal Publications
Mentoring:
The Kindness of Strangers: Adult Mentors, Urban Youth, and the New Voluntarism; Marc
Freedman; Cambridge University Press; 1999 (paperback edition)
Contemporary Issues in Mentoring; Jean Grossman, ed; Public/Private Ventures;

Philadelphia; 1999
Mentoring School-Age Children: Relationship Development in Community-Based and

School-Based Programs; Carla Herrera et al.; PPV; 2000
The Mentoring Guidebook; Lib Crockett and Jay Smink; The National Dropout
Prevention Center; Clemson University, 1991
The ABC’s of Mentoring; The National Mentoring Partnership; Alexandria, VA

How to be A Great Mentor; The National Mentoring Partnership; Alexandria, VA; 1999
Mentoring Minority Youth:

Cross Cultural Mentoring; Patricia Larke et. al, RAISE, Inc. 1989
Effects of Race, Gender and Perceived Similarity and Contact on Mentoring Relationships:
Eshner and Murphy, Journal of Vocational Behavior, #50, 1997
Training Multiculturally Competent Counselors to work with Asian Americans; K.V.

Chandras; Counselor Education and Supervision, v.30, # 1, 9/97
Mentoring College Bound Latino Students: The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education,
v.10 #10; 2/2000
Career-Oriented Mentoring for Minorities:

Mentoring and Early Encouragement as Keys to Getting more Hispanic Women into
Educational Administration; Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, v.2, #5, 1/92
Myth Busters; K.T. Andes, Restaurant Business, June 10, 1993 (Black chefs mentor
African American Youth)
Career-Oriented Mentoring in Health Care:

The Impact of Hospitals on Youth Mentoring Projects: The Commonwealth Fund’s
Hospital Youth Mentoring Project; Harwood et. al, The Lewin Group, 1997
Relationships in a Career Mentoring Program: Lessons Learned from the Hospital Youth
Mentoring Program; Wendy McLanahan, PPV, 1998
The Research Apprenticeship Program: Promoting Careers in Biomedical and Health

Professions for Minority Populations; Denise D. Davis, presented at the Annual Meeting
of the Educational Research Association, Montreal, Ontario, April 19-23, 1999
(available through ERIC Clearinghouse)
Websites
www.mentoring.org (The National Mentoring Partnership: best place to start for

general information on mentoring)
www.virtualvolunteering.org (The Virtual Volunteering Project)
www.icouldbe.org (connects high school students with mentors and career advice)
www.netmentors.org (online career mentoring for teenagers)
www.womenandmathmentoring.org (eighth grade girls mentored face-to-face and

online)
www.diversityconnection.org (provides services, including mentoring, for minorities in

health care, sponsored by the Institute for Diversity in Health Management)
www.davenport.edu/grapcep (mentoring for pre-engineering students)
www.mcphu.edu/minority/pathways.html (Pathways Partnership for Minorities in

Health Professions)
www.nea.org/he/pgms.html (National Education Association lists and describes

mentoring programs for college students)
www.mentornet.net (mentoring network for women in engineering and science)
http://smysp.stanford.edu (Stanford University Medical Youth Science Program)
www.trioprograms.org (Council for Opportunity in Education includes programs like

Upward Bound, which introduces minority high school students to college and, in
some chapters, health science careers)
http://osu.orst.edu/precollege/TheSMILE/index.html (Precollege enrichment program

for historically underrepresented and educationally disadvantages students in Oregon)
www.aises.org (The American Indian Science and Engineering Society sponsors career
exploration activities for K-12 students)
www.tapr.org (The Four Directions Electronic Mentoring Project for Native American
students)
http://home.okstate.edu/homepages.nsf/toc/first_generation5 (report on the

effectiveness of formal mentoring programs for high-risk undergraduate students)
www.oasis.org (Oakland-based program for Asian youth)

Select Resources on Mentoring
Community Organizations
Each community has different mentoring organizations, some of which are only local.
Here are some national organizations with many local chapters. Each local chapter is
listed in the telephone directory.
State (or City) Mentoring Partnership
Big Brothers/Big Sisters
The Boys and Girls Club
Volunteer Clearing House
PTA
YMCA

SAMPLE TIMELINE FOR PLANNING AND
IMPLEMENTING A MENTOR PROGRAM
IN AN AFFILIATE OR DPG
Year 1:
• Affiliate/state president or DPG chairperson assigns a Diversity
Mentoring Chair (term is open)
• Diversity Mentoring Chair assembles a committee to plan program
• Committee determines age group(s) to focus first year efforts
• Goals could focus on one age group or one geographic area close to
your mentor volunteers
For example, one elementary school to have 4 dietitian visits
throughout the year or set up mentor program with local Dietetic
Technician Program or Didactic Program in Dietetics.
• Write 3 goals into affiliate/state plan of work or DPG action plan;
• Get Board approval and funding for activities or raise funds from
outside sources
• Look at collaborative efforts with another allied health group or
community group
• Recruit and train mentors while recruiting students or building
community alliances
• Begin program
• Have end of the year social; mentors and protégés fill our evaluation
forms
• Committee Chair reports to Board with successes and next steps to
expand program
• President or DPG Chair shares successes and improvements with ADA
staff
Year 2:
• Evaluate last year and set new goals for program

SAMPLE TIMELINE FOR PLANNING AND
IMPLEMENTING A MENTOR PROGRAM IN
A DIETETICS EDUCATION PROGRAM
Year 1:
• Program Director assembles a Diversity Mentoring Committee to plan
program
• Committee determines goals, objectives, and action plan; gets faculty
and administration approval
• Budget funds for activities or raise funds from outside sources
• Look at collaborative efforts with another allied health program or
community group
• Recruit and train mentors while recruiting students or building
community alliances
• Begin program
• Have end of the year social; mentors and protégés fill our evaluation
forms
• Program Director reports to faculty and administration with successes
and next steps to expand program
• Program Director shares successes and improvements with ADA staff
Year 2:
• Evaluate last year and set new goals for program

Section Two: Guidelines for Four Distinct Age Groups
1. College — Declared Majors
Section Two provides specific information for each age group. It also includes
handouts and training materials for mentors that will supplement the general training
materials presented in Section One. Handouts are highlighted in bold italics in the
Table of Contents.
Goals and Objectives

The goal in mentoring declared majors is for culturally diverse students
• To successfully complete a coordinated program in dietetics or a didactic program

and a dietetic internship and pass the registration examination for dietitians.
Or
• To successfully complete a dietetic technician program and pass the registration

examination for dietetic technicians.
The objectives for mentors are

• To help students be academically competitive by identifying his or her learning
style and developing study skills. If the student’s learning style does not match
the teaching style in the classroom, the mentoring program can help address the
differences and find resources so the student can perform at his or her highest
level.
• To help culturally diverse students learn networking, presentation, and interviewing
skills.
• To introduce culturally diverse students to people in the dietetics profession.
(Note that this objective does not obligate a mentor to secure an internship or
employment for a student. Being an active advocate for a protégé is optional.)
Challenges for Minority Majors: Student Profiles

As you plan your mentoring program, these interviews with students may give you
insight to their perspectives and needs.
Raina Spears, 21 (Choctaw Indian), Senior, Oklahoma State University,

Didactic Program in Dietetics
I chose to major in dietetics because I’m very interested in health, nutrition, and
how things are changing. What led me into it more than anything is that my
grandmother had cancer and passed away two years ago. She fought the disease
for ten years before it defeated her, because she had good nutrition habits. It was
amazing how she took care of herself that well. I would like to help people. It
made me feel that I can go out and help someone.
My ethnic background did have an effect on majoring in dietetics, because many

Native Americans have diabetes and it’s very important to keep them aware of

their eating habits. I would like to work with a Native American facility, with
people who have cancer or diabetes.
My biggest challenge is keeping up with all the research. Even when I get out
that’s going to be a big thing—knowing what s accurate and what’s not. You
really have to focus on your studies. The studies are quite hard, but anyone can
do it if they put their mind to it.
I haven’t mapped out a plan yet for getting an internship. I will graduate next
December, and I would like to do an internship close to home, if possible. Dr.
Ebro, my faculty advisor and teacher, will be helping me. There’s a place about 30
miles from my home. She will call them and let them know that I’m interested.
I’ll map out my top three choices, and it will be Dr. Ebro’s job to let them know
I’m interested and put in a good word for me.
Definitely having a mentor would make a difference. Dr E has not only been a
friend, but I have been introduced to other faculty members. And there’s tutoring
offered. Mentoring has opened many doors to me in furthering my career as a
dietitian.
As a dietitian I hope to change many lives. I live what I preach. I enjoy working
out and taking care of myself. Helping other people have a healthier life and live
longer would be wonderful.
Veronica Diaz, 23 (Mexican-American), Senior, University of Illinois at

Chicago, Coordinated Program in Dietetics
I chose to major in dietetics because it’s my passion. I’ve always been involved in
the athletic field as well and I think it’s a perfect combination. Nutrition and
athletics go together hand in hand for performance enhancement and overall
health.
My ethnic background did not have any bearing on my choice of dietetics. But
now I’m learning more about Mexicans. They are the target people for diabetes
and congestive heart disease.
My biggest challenge is being able to balance the fulltime academic load with the
internship. What you learn one week you are practicing the next. I’m also
pursuing a degree in exercise physiology. School, a one-day-per-week job and
social life are very hard to balance. My social life has suffered. It’s all worth it
because I love the field.
I’ve mapped out a plan for getting a job. Clinical will be the easiest job to get.
I’d like to do part-time clinical while I finish my exercise physiology degree.
Colorado, San Diego and Tallahassee have programs in sports nutrition, and I
would like to pursue my master’s. The Director in Tallahassee told me about their
master’s with a sports emphasis, and a friend told me about Colorado. The help I
can use is out there, the Internet is a great resource. It’s just a matter of time.
A mentor would definitely make a difference. It would help me for my future. It

would be nice for professors to let me know what they’ve noticed I’m good at—
nutrition science, or research.

College —
College — Declared
Declared Majors
Majors
All of us young students feel like we can change the world. Realistically we can’t.
It’s just my job as an educator to make my knowledge available, but whether
people choose to use it is up to them. I hope they will.
Assessment of Student’s Strengths and

Weaknesses
Protégés can benefit immensely from examining their strengths and weaknesses so
they will have an edge in school, the interviewing process, and beyond. Mentors can
provide guidance and support in this area that will be useful to protégés throughout
their lives. Remember that the protégé’s personal and cultural traits will come with
him or her to the table and that any discussion of those traits must be handled
sensitively. Learning to succeed in a business environment may require the protégé to
change one or more of his or her behaviors. However, learning to adapt in order to
succeed should be viewed as an enhancement to the protégé’s personality, not a
comment on personal style or traditions.
Factors that come into play include learning styles, eye contact, firmness of
handshake, tone and volume of the speaking voice, directness or obliqueness of
responses, and personal space.
Mentors should realize that misunderstandings sometimes occur when a certain

behavior means one thing in one culture and something different in another culture.
For example, African-Americans tend to interpret close personal space as friendliness,
while Caucasians, especially those of European descent, may see it as being “in your
face.” In some Asian cultures, young people show respect by casting their eyes
downward when talking with an older person. Other cultures may consider this
behavior evasive. In America, business etiquette requires a firm handshake; in
Thailand, people do not shake hands. However, while noting cultural tendencies, a
mentor also must realize that groups of people should not be stereotyped. All
individuals are unique and have a variety of experiences they can draw upon.
For these reasons, mentors and protégés should be open-minded about their starting
point, knowing that their traits are part of who they are and that almost anyone can
build on the positive and adapt to “society’s norms” to achieve success.
Behaviors that can help protégés in an interview, on the job, and with coworkers
include:
• Speaking clearly, without using slang

• Having a firm handshake
• Making eye contact
• Maintaining a comfortable personal space
• Using direct, but tactful, communication in which “yes” means yes and “no”
means no
Mentors and protégés can discuss these issues and practice specific elements, such as
shaking hands. They also can do an exercise in which the mentor identifies certain
behaviors and asks how the protégé would handle the situation.

Academic Support
Mentors can provide the academic support that protégés may need to perform to their
greatest potential. Finding success can be simple or complicated. In either case,
mentors are in an objective position to help students recognize their needs and find
the resources to meet them.
All people have a primary learning style that is based on their culture, personality,
and psychology. Most people are visual learners, meaning that they learn best through
seeing. Some people are auditory learners, meaning that they learn best through
hearing. Some people, a smaller group, are kinesthetic learners, meaning that they
learn best by doing. Of course, everyone uses each of these learning styles to some
extent, but they rely most on their primary learning style.
James Anderson, psychology professor and vice provost of undergraduate affairs for
North Carolina State University, talks about students as relational learners or
analytical learners. Relational learners are holistic, seeing all information as one
picture. They tend to need an example they can relate to in order to understand a
concept. Analytical learners focus on details and concepts. They tend not to need
peripheral information, such as examples.
It is helpful for mentors and protégés to identify primary learning styles so protégés
can compensate for what may not be occurring in class. For example, college
professors typically lecture. If the professor is not supporting his or her words with
visual cues, the visual learner may be missing the message. A mentor can help his or
her protégé in this situation by suggesting that the student take notes during class
and even draw pictures to support the notes. For the kinesthetic learner, the mentor
and protégé could complete an experiment outside of class—using straw and clay to
construct a sugar molecule for science class, for example.
The relational learner could ask the professor for examples, while the analytical
learner may need to discuss the concepts being presented. A mentor can help a
protégé realize the need to get these kinds of information in order to understand the
curriculum.
Another element to consider is learning expectations. A student who expects to

memorize information may feel unsure when asked to explore the plot of a novel or
the cause of a war. The same is true for the analytical learner who now may be
expected to relate concepts to everyday examples. The skills of memorization and
analysis are learnable. After a student’s expectations are identified, the mentor can
help his or her protégé compensate.
Students who are not performing well in class may have one of these challenges:
• Poor communications skills
• Time management issues
• A learning disability
Together, the mentor and protégé should identify the problem and address it, without
embarrassment. There are resources on campus for every situation, and a student’s
mentor can help find these resources and be an advocate for his or her protégé.
For poor communicators, there are writing workshops and presentation courses.

College — Declared Majors
Mentors also can work with their protégés to be better speakers and writers (without
writing anything that would be considered homework or would be graded).
For students with time management problems, mentors can help them set academic
priorities and examine how their behavior is affecting their study habits and grades.
Together, they can discuss alternatives to procrastination, such as taking control of
time instead of just letting things happen last minute or haphazardly. College juniors
in Didactic Programs in Dietetics, especially, should set academic priorities and see
them through because their junior year grades will be used to compete for Dietetic
Internship.
Prioritizing and time management skills also are valuable to students who are
attending school (sometimes with an academic load that is too heavy), working,
making social engagements and not getting enough sleep—in any combination.
For students with learning disabilities, in reading or math, for example, there should
be support on campus. Again, mentors can help protégés locate resources. The
challenge is to identify the situation and get help as soon as possible.
Anderson points out that mentors can help students schedule their required courses
so they take the easier courses first, while at the same time honing the skills they
will need to be successful in the more difficult courses.
Professional Networking
Dietetics majors must learn how to make their professional presence known and meet
people in the industry. Mentors are key in this respect. They have been chosen as
mentors because they are successful on many levels, including the network they can
offer to their protégés.
For example, mentors can take their protégés to local, state, and/or regional dietetics
meetings and introduce them to other professionals. They can teach their protégés
how to talk with as many people as possible in a meaningful way—more than just
handing out business cards and asking only what the contact can do for them.
Protégés should be prepared to listen actively and talk concisely about their dietetics
courses, interest, career plans, etc.
Mentors also can teach protégés how to follow up, for example, by writing a note to
specific contacts, thanking them for their time and citing something from their
conversation that made an impression.
Professional networking will give protégés numerous perspectives on dietetics and will
give them the contacts they need in the future for advice and help in securing
internships and/or employment.
Interviewing Skills
By the time a protégé is in the final year of the dietetics program, he or she must
have solid interviewing skills. Most people will have numerous interviews in their
lives, whether simply informational or for a position.
• Informational interviews are for gathering information and professional networking.

Protégés should think of the informational interview as money in the bank—they

never know when they may need to make a withdrawal. A protégé should make
sure the contact knows he or she is looking, but should never directly ask for a
job.
• Job interviews are clearly intended to find the most suitable candidate for an open
position.
• Mentors can use the handouts on the next pages to provide their protégés guidance
on interviewing strategies.

TIPS FOR INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS
An informational interview transmits information both ways, so be prepared to take

advantage of both.
• To get the most information about the person/business you are visiting, do your
homework in advance. Think of yourself as a newspaper reporter. How would
reporter prepare for the interview?
• While you are not interviewing for an open position, you are being assessed
(judged), and you never know when that interviewer’s opinion of you might have
an impact on your career. Do you look professional? Are you well informed? Are
you alert and sharp? Will this person remember you?
• After the informational interview, stay in touch. Apart from your thank-you note,
follow up again when you come across some information that might be useful to
the person you met. For example, you might read something in the newspaper that
relates to his/her business interests. Or you may know someone else that they
should meet, for their own benefit.
• Do not confuse a job interview an informational interview. If there’s a job open,
and you are interested in it, it is all right to have an informal discussion before
you apply formally.
The Informational Interview

Before:
• Define the purpose of the interview. Is it to learn about an area of business, find
out about potential for future jobs, learn more about an important area in the
organization, or meet a person who has some interesting experiences or insights to
share?
• Identify the best person to interview, based on their position, experience,
personality, and availability. A mentor can be helpful in finding the right person
and making the introduction.
• Prepare for the interview by finding out what you can about the person and his or
her work. Don’t ask questions at the interview that you easily could have
researched beforehand.
• Ask yourself what the other person might gain from this interview.
During:
• Give a clear and honest picture of what you hope to gain from the meeting.
• Ask pointed, purposeful questions; but leave room for open-ended questions.
• Listen for clues about what this person hopes to gain from the interview.
• Be prepared to tell the person you’re interviewing some information about yourself,
your background, and your interests.
• Ask the interviewer if he/she thinks there are other people you should talk to.
After:
• Send a thank-you note.
• Record your impressions and ideas in writing before you forget them.
• Discuss the interview with your mentor, so that you can identify what you have
gained and what your next steps should be.

TIPS FOR JOB INTERVIEWS
Before the Interview

• Do your homework. Learn about the organization and the person (or persons) who
will be interviewing you.
• Have a short, strong description of your experience and your strengths ready to be
said at a moment’s notice. Focus on three key points. Be prepared to state your
strengths in a way that will be relevant to the job. Also be prepared to identify at
least one weakness, but do not volunteer the information unless asked for it.
• Make sure your grooming and wardrobe are ready. Keep it simple, neat, and
tasteful. The interviewer should be able to focus entirely on your professional
attributes.
• Arrive for the interview early. This will give you a chance to observe the office.
Chat with the interviewer’s secretary if you can.
Nonverbal Behavior
The image you project in the first half a minute determines someone’s opinion of you.
To be a success on an interview and on the job you should:
• Be on time.
• Smile.
• Have a firm handshake, but not a bone-crushing one.
• Make frequent eye contact.
• Stand and sit tall.
• Don’t fidget.
• Don’t chew gum.
Verbal Communication
• Speak clearly in a pleasant, even tone.
• Practice reflective listening. Make sure you understand what the interviewer is
expecting. Be positive. Be sure to start and end conversation on an upbeat note.
• Show the interviewer that you understand his/her business needs and that you can
help meet them.
• Ask a pointed, intelligent question about the business when invited to ask
questions. Save questions about benefits, vacations, etc., until later.
• Keep your answers concise and to the point.
• Learn to field tricky questions, such as, “Tell me about the worst boss you ever
had.”
A Final Note
You will get offered the job if the interviewer is convinced that you can meet his or
her needs, not the other way around. From the interviewer’s point of view, the
question is whether you are right for the job. If you understand their needs, you can
sell yourself effectively.

2. College — Undeclared Majors

The goal for mentoring college students who have not yet declared dietetics as a
major is for culturally diverse students
• To select dietetics as their major.

• To assess the student’s interest in and abilities for dietetics as a career by giving
the student a complete picture of the dietetics profession in terms of benefits,
rewards, and challenges.
• To guide students from underrepresented groups in taking the appropriate courses
to enter the dietetics program.
• To offer academic support by identifying the student’s learning style and
developing study skills so the student can excel. If the student’s learning style
does not match the teaching style in the classroom, the mentoring program can
help address the differences so the student can perform at his or her highest level.
• To offer encouragement by helping culturally diverse students find job
opportunities in the dietetics field. Having dietetics experience can help in
securing an internship later.
Issues for Minority Students: Student Profiles

Armando Gonzalez, 19 (Latino)

I am a freshman at Bellevue Community College, Washington. I enjoy doing
volunteer work in the community, hiking, and hanging out with friends. I also like
music.
I think a dietitian is someone who knows about proper eating habits and the way
people should eat. Kids, as they get older, don’t eat healthful foods. Some do,
because they might have gotten into the habit. But maybe some break away from
that, especially as they get busier in high school, and even more so in college.
In order to get kids to eat a healthier diet, we need to get them at a younger age
to get and stay in the habit of eating healthier foods. For example, eating trail
mix or fruit instead of Jolly Ranchers. Older people know that they need to eat a
more healthful diet, especially if their doctor has told them they need to eat
healthier. Once people get into the “synch” of things, they start being able to
watch what they eat instead of just being in a hurry all the time. Eating healthier
foods might make people think about making dietetics a career, but I’m not sure
whether thinking “24-7” about diet will make them want to think about it for
other people as well. A career in dietetics could help people by making them
healthier and not as much at risk for heart disease. Even healthier people have to
watch their weight, but not as much as people who are eating fatty, greasy foods.

I would consider studying dietetics in college. One of my biggest reasons would be

for personal growth, because I’m not the healthiest eater, but I do want to learn
more about what works best and doesn’t. I believe that having a mentor, like a
professional or someone in the dietetics field, would make a difference. It might
be the encouraging boost you need to get going or to help you learn. It could
help you see where that career could take you.
Kim Castro, 21 (Filipino)

I attend the University of Washington in Seattle. I enjoy swimming, skiing, hiking,
and walking. I’ve never considered majoring in dietetics. I just never thought
about it. I never really thought about what I ate. We ate okay stuff. We ate
traditional ethnic food, and a lot of it is similar to Chinese food, but it’s Latin
food.
What would encourage me to major in dietetics is knowing that it helps people. I

can see that in other countries lots of people are dying at younger ages because
of the foods they eat. Having a mentor would definitely help me if I were to
major in dietetics. I would need more education on dietetics – I don’t know
enough about it to know whether I would want to go into it.
How to Identify and Recruit Potential

Dietetics Students
The easiest way to identify potential dietetics majors is to find the freshman and
sophomore students, who are taking courses in nutrition, enjoying them, and
performing well. The faculty members will be the best resource for identifying
students, of course.
In recruiting students as dietetics majors, use sensitivity so that the campaign is not
seen as an effort to “steal” students from other programs. However, students need to
consider what a career in foods and nutrition will mean to them long term. For
example, the student thinking about being a chef may not realize the long hours
required (including weekends) for the job, as well as the built-in competitiveness of
the career. Dietetics may be a better fit for the life plan they have envisioned.
In addition, find out what the freshmen and sophomores know about dietetics. What
is their image of this career? You have an opportunity to present a positive and
realistic picture of the field.
One way to expose students to dietetics is to work with faculty members who invite
guest speakers into the classroom. This approach is excellent because it not only
gives students a chance to learn about dietetics from a professional, but it also
allows you to talk about the ADA Building Our Future mentoring program and recruit
protégés. It should be made clear, however, that the goal of the mentoring program is
to recruit students from underrepresented groups because cultural diversity is
disproportionately represented in the profession.
If it is impossible to reserve classroom time for a guest speaker, professors may be

willing to arrange a time outside of class for a presentation. For example, the
professor may be willing to let students use his or her office or departmental meeting
space for a special presentation from a dietetics professional.

College — Undeclared Majors
Professors also may be willing to share the names of minority students who are taking
nutrition courses. Mentoring Committee members then could contact students
individually to explain the mentoring program and identify interest. This approach is
time consuming, but worth it if there are no other options.
Finally, the organization may have funds that could be earmarked for dietetics
scholarships, which always create interest among students.
Selecting a Program Design

The ideal mentoring program design for freshmen and sophomores is “one-to-one”, in
which mentors meet at least once a month with protégés and maintain telephone
contact between meetings. In the first year of the relationship, students should
explore the dietetics profession by visiting their mentors in the workplace and
receiving academic support and guidance regarding the courses they need to take.
If the number of mentors is limited, group mentoring is acceptable for undeclared

majors, as long as the group includes no more than five protégés to one mentor. The
most preferable ratio is three protégés to one mentor. (Refer back to the second gold
tab for more information on mentoring program designs.)
Assessment of Student’s Strengths and

Weaknesses
their lives.
Remember that the protégé’s personal and cultural traits will come with him or her to
the table and that any discussion of those traits must be handled sensitively.
Learning to succeed in a business environment may require the protégé to change one
or more of his or her behaviors. However, learning to adapt in order to succeed should
be viewed as an enhancement to the protégé’s personality, not a comment on
personal style or traditions.


include:

means no
Mentors may benefit from the handout on the next page, which summarizes some of
the challenges students face in the freshman and sophomore years.

CHALLENGES IN THE FRESHMAN AND
SOPHOMORE YEARS
For incoming college students, and even second year students, there are personal
challenges that mentors should understand.
Freshman Year
• Homesickness
• Time management
• Difficulty managing money
• Lack of adequate academic background
• Poor study skills
• Finding and fitting in with friends
• Uncertainty about where to get help
Sophomore Year
• Remaining problems from freshman year

• Financial problems (aid often drops after first year)
• Pressure of balancing school and work
• Uncertainty about original choice of major

3. High School Students

The goal for mentoring high school students is for culturally diverse students to
• Go to college and select dietetics as their major.

• To identify culturally diverse students who may be interested in dietetics.
• To present dietetics as a desirable career.
• To guide students in taking the appropriate high school courses to prepare them for
college.
• To offer academic support so students can excel.
• To encourage and help students in applying for college and financial aid.
• To help students find summer employment in dietetics or a related field.
Minority Students in High School Today:

Student Profiles
Abby Sanders, 16 (African-American)

I am a Junior at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., where I live
with my parents and my twin sister. I am active in sports, and I am planning on
a career as a fashion designer.
I think a dietitian is a person, a doctor, who tells you how to eat correctly. I
know a couple of kids who eat really well but mostly its donuts, starburst, coffee,
peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and McDonald’s…
Kids don’t eat healthy diets because a lot of the time we have a lot of things to
do, like schoolwork and friends. You eat because you’re hungry and a lot of times
you don’t have time to sit down and have dinner. You just eat whatever you can
to stop being hungry anymore. Most of the time that’s fast food or a candy bar…
I definitely wasn’t aware of how good a lot of other stuff tasted until I had to
eat it. Like dried fruit is really good… With African American kids it has a lot to
do with what parents buy. They try and buy the cheapest products. A lot of times
instead of buying cereal bars and stuff that has tons of sugar, you can buy fruit.
If they’re that hungry they’re going to eat it, and that will become their habit.
I would only study dietetics in college if it became a really big problem for me, or
if I wanted to change the foods I eat. Having a mentor might make a difference,
but if I really had a goal, probably not. Dietitians can help the world. Most of
the time a lot of people who don’t eat healthy foods don’t eat healthy throughout
their lives…I don’t think she’s really aware of that. If dietitians had a school
assembly for an hour or so to talk about eating habits, then if people were
informed, maybe the next time they picked up a candy bar they would think
twice.
Monty Singh, 16 (East Indian)

I am a Junior at Bellevue High in Washington. I enjoy singing and playing
basketball.
A dietitian is somebody who helps people out with food and nutritional habits.
These days, I don’t think kids eat healthful foods because they are out of shape.
I’m not the perfect eater either, but I do burn it off. To get kids to eat healthier,
we try explaining to them all the time. I don’t think it makes a difference what
ethnic group you are, just as long as you’ve got the knowledge.
I think I’m going to become a psychologist. What would encourage me to major

in dietetics would have to be some kind of personal experience, like, when you see
that someone is unhealthy. It would have to affect me in some deep way. I guess
having a mentor in the dietetics profession would make a difference because
there’s nothing wrong with learning more about eating healthy. A career like
dietetics could help people change the world, because only the strong survive. If
more people are eating healthy, more people are living longer. You’ll be more fit
and healthier.
Assessment of the Student’s Strengths

and Weaknesses
their lives.
Remember that the protégé’s personal and cultural traits will come with him or her to
the table and that any discussion of those traits must be handled sensitively.
Learning to succeed in a business environment may require the protégé to change one
or more of his or her behaviors. However, learning to adapt in order to succeed should
be viewed as an enhancement to the protégé’s personality, not a comment on
personal style or traditions.


High School Students
include:

means no
Working With School Administrators

The key to a successful mentoring program in high schools is to have buy in from
principals and guidance counselors or faculty members who will be responsible for
day-to-day program operation. As leader of the school, the principal must give the
program his or her seal of approval. After that point, he or she probably will not be
involved extensively.
The Building Our Future mentoring program manager for your organization should meet
the other school representatives involved and give them a clear understanding of the
program and the roles different people will play. Be upbeat and positive about the
commitment the school is making, and trust that the people in charge have the
appropriate skills to do the job. Expect that not everyone will be enthusiastic about
the assignment; give them time and the special attention they may need to want to
succeed. A poor relationship with any school personnel involved in the mentoring
program will guarantee failure.
After everyone in the high schools is on board, do three things:

• Be clear about roles and when things should happen. An understanding of how
things work and who does what will make participants more comfortable, and it
will give them a sense of ownership in the program.
• Tell them you will make the program as easy for them as possible. Remember that
this may not be the only program from an outside organization that the high
school is conducting.
• Present the model of the program you see as ideal, but be open to modifications
school personnel may need to fit their curriculum, time frame, etc. Working as a
partnership will be more successful than anything else.
Then, consider the following:
• Timing—If you want to start the mentoring program at the beginning of the
school year, meet with the principal the previous spring. Adequate lead-time gives
principals and staffs a chance to digest the information and plan.
• Workload—Find out what other extracurricular programs the high schools are
conducting so you will know whether they are overwhelmed with partnerships.
Assess with the principals how much time the schools have for the mentoring
program, what they will be willing to do, and what they must do (for example,
some situations require mentors to meet with protégés on school property).

Do not over demand. Make administering the program as easy as possible. For
example, if the school has students who do not speak English as a first language,
make sure your materials are translated into the appropriate languages. Do not
expect the schools to do the translations.
• Measures of success—What outcomes are most desirable for this segment of your
program? Share them with the high school administrators. For example, if academic
improvement is a measure of success, you may need to negotiate what student
grades are available to you. Individual grades may be confidential, but schools may
be able to provide pooled (averaged) grades. Also discuss when grades are
available so that your time frame corresponds to a deadline the schools are able to
meet. Keep school administrators updated on the progress of the mentoring
program. Make sure they know everything that is happening.
• Specificity—Be specific about what you need and expect from the schools
throughout the year. Ask them to be just as specific with you. Make sure there is
an action plan and people who are accountable. During the spring, while you are
planning together for the school year ahead, make sure the mentoring program
calendar coordinates with school calendars so there are no conflicts with teacher
in-service days, holidays, etc. Only when everyone has signed off on the plan can
you expect them to comply.
• Recognition—Never let an opportunity to recognize the high schools pass you by.
For example, feature programs and people in your newsletter. Use photos and
quotes. Coordinate local media interest in your mentoring program. Recognize
school personnel in the mentoring program during the holidays with an event or a
gift, such as a poinsettia, so they will be motivated to continue following the
holiday break. Invite school personnel to your regional dietetics conference. Ask
them to be guest speakers and talk about the program’s success in their schools.
Be creative with ideas for recognition; everyone likes to be thanked!
Developing Partnerships with Community

Groups and Parents
In addition to working with high schools, you also can partner with community
groups and parent organizations to obtain the resources that can make your program
even more successful. Although every city and town has different service
organizations, community groups such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, and parent-teacher
groups, such as PTA, may have materials and other resources that could be helpful.
If you plan to work with another organization, make sure your goals and values are
compatible. To find the groups in your community with an interest in mentoring, log
on to The National Mentoring Partnership’s Web site at www.mentoring.org.
Engaging Adolescents in Career Planning

When children are young, we ask them, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
They feel a certain pressure to have an answer, even at the age of 5. The truth is that
most children do not know what they want to do because they are too young and
have not experienced enough to make a decision. It is rare that a child has a career
passion, even by the age of 15.

High School Students
Mentors can help adolescent protégés acknowledge their uncertainty about choosing a
career. In some cases, teens will declare that a certain profession, such as being a
doctor or a fashion designer, is their choice for the future. However, when the mentor
begins asking questions, he or she may find that the protégé has no real interest in
or knowledge about the career. The mentor may even find that the protégé’s choice is
an idea left over from childhood.
The next step in talking about career planning with adolescents is to do an interest
and skills inventory. Discuss the things your protégé does well and the things your
protégé is interested in, at school and during spare time. Some skills, such as
communicating effectively, being organized, and being able to set priorities, are
beneficial in business; yet adolescents typically have not been told that these
abilities are valuable.
After an interest and skills inventory is done, a mentor and protégé can begin talking
about which careers fit the profile. For our purposes, this inventory may reveal skills
in the protégé, which would be useful in the dietetics profession. If so, mentors
should offer the protégé the opportunity to “job shadow” and give him or her some
concrete experience in the dietetics field. Mentors also may be able to introduce their
protégés to other dietetics practitioners with different perspectives. Then, the mentor
can discuss the protégé’s questions and observations.
Mentors may find the handouts that follow helpful in understanding and
communicating with high school students.

DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF ADOLESCENCE
This chart of characteristics should not be interpreted rigidly. It simply provides clues
about what is most likely to occur at a specific age. Because of individual differences,
behaviors may occur earlier or later than indicated, or perhaps not at all.
Ages 14 to 16 Ages 17 to 19
Social Development
Family Family
Overt expression of independence Parental advice and support important in
requires parental acceptance and transition to adulthood (i.e. career,
facilitation. economic, marital decisions)
Possible conflict over restrictions on May be leaving home for extended

behavior (i.e. driving) periods of time, enjoys freedom, but
feels doubts.
Peers Peers
Preoccupation with acceptance by social Looking for permanence in romantic
group relationships
Casual and intimate sexual Choices and decision reflect continuing

experimentation occur peer influence
Boys and girls have a few close friends Exploring possibilities of becoming
of both sexes, friendships last longer more desirable as a mate
Increase in conflict between peer and Group activities provided an outlet for
adult roles; peer influence gradually expressing feelings
intensifies
Independent judgment emerges despite May be living full time with peers in a
tendency to conformity college setting, encountering new
interpersonal problems and satisfactions
Girls more socially adept than boys
Primary groups same sex, but more

heterosexual interaction occurs
School School
Plans for and investigates career choices Has responsibility for decisions to be
made in post-high school education
continued

DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF ADOLESCENCE
Self Development
Emotions Emotions
Competitive peer relations produce some Worries about career choice and future
distrust
Anxious about forming and continuing
Daydreaming is common intimate heterosexual relationships
Confides more in friends than in parents, May be in love

but assurance of acceptance and security
from parents is still needed
Emotional concerns focus on physical

changes and interpersonal relationships
Self Self
Achieving independence from parents Makes serious choices concerning
education and career
developing socially responsible
behavior Looking for commitment in intimate
relationships
Achieving new and more mature
relationships with peers of both sexes Looking for assurance of future
economic security
May be involved in own marital and

family life decisions
Values Values
Interest in philosophical, ethical and Integration of values into a personal
religious questions philosophy
Is aware of moral contradictions in Is able to commit self to causes

social and personal ethics
Group beliefs influence values
Thinking and Language Development

Concerned with future, remote, can Continues to refine language and
make conceptual distinctions thinking
Capacity for long-range planning and Increased life experience provides more
purposes, aspirations often exceed and new opportunities for refinement of
ability reasoning skills
Tests hypotheses and solutions Inadequate language skills may limit

future options
Should be able to use language to
express and clarify concepts

COMMUNICATING WITH TEENAGERS
• Develop an active listening style. Do not interrupt when your protégé is talking
to you. Maintain open, positive body language (no arms crossed in front of your
chest, for example). Respond in a nonjudgmental way so the communication
between you and your protégé will remain open.
• Use reflective communication. After your protégé has told you something,
paraphrase and repeat what you have heard. For example, your protégé says, “My
mother is driving me crazy!” You paraphrase and say, “I hear you’re having some
trouble with your mother.” This response shows your protégé that you are
listening, give your protégé a chance to correct something you might have
misunderstood, and keeps the conversation open and moving.
• Ask open, rather than closed, questions. An open question, such as “What do
you think about the new football coach at school?” gives your protégé a chance to
give an opinion, and it may open a discussion between the two of you. A closed
question, such as “Do you like math?” gives your protégé the option of saying only
“Yes,” or, “No.”
• Avoid using slang. Young people develop their own terms and phrases as a way to
exclude adults. So if you try to use slang, you will come across as phony. Slang
changes quickly, as well, so even if you think you are using it correctly, you may
be using the wrong terms and phrases. Stick to your own style of speaking.
The best advice in communicating with adolescents is to listen. Research shows that
adolescents want adults to listen more than anything else. As a mentor, you cannot
give practical advice until you know your protégé, which requires asking questions
and listening. Even adolescents who are quiet want a mentor who will listen. The
mentor simply has to work harder — asking open questions is a good tactic — to
encourage those quiet protégés to open up.

MENTORS AND PARENTS
Tips for mentors when communicating with parents of protégés.
• The mentor’s primary relationship is with the protégé.
• Introduce yourself to the parent or guardian, by phone, but do not

push for a face-to-face meeting. Let the parents make that move.
• Explain your role to the parents.
• Find out what the parents’ expectations and ground rules are.
• If there is a conflict between your understanding of your role and

the parents’ expectations, be sure to clarify your role.
• Do not place yourself in a position where the protégé sees you as an

agent of the parent. (For example, you are not a disciplinarian.)
• Socialize with the family only so far as it is comfortable for you and
your protégé.
• Never undermine the parents or their authority.

4. K-8 and Community Outreach

The goal in working with culturally diverse students in K-8 is for the students to
• To have an understanding of and a positive view of dietetics as a profession.
The objectives for the mentors are

• To acquaint students with a dietetics professional so they can understand the
profession.
• To present a positive view of dietetics through hands-on learning experiences.
Minority Dietitians of the Next Generation

insight to their perspectives.
Symphony Love, 6 (African-American)

I live in Suitland, Maryland with my Mom, and I go to Martin Luther King School.
I am in the first grade. I like school, and my favorite thing is to read. When I
come home I like to play. I have a lot of stuffed animals. When I grow up I
want to be a ballerina.
I think a dietitian is someone who teaches people how to eat. I think I eat
healthy foods. My favorite food is macaroni. I also like noodles. Some kids just
eat junk. I think to get them to eat healthier foods you have to teach them to
eat right. If people don’t eat the right kind of foods they can get sick. Dietitians
can help people by showing them how to eat right and stay more healthy.
I would like to learn about how to make healthy foods at school. That would be
fun. Too many people are too fat.
Christian Alves, 10 (African American)

I am in the 5th grade at St. Albans School for Boys in Washington, D.C. There
are five in my family if you count the dog: my Dad, Mom, sister, and me. After
school, when I have done my homework, I like to ride my bike or my scooter. I
like to do lots of stuff outside, or play Nintendo if I’m indoors.
I think a dietitian is a person who looks at people’s diets. I think most kids eat
healthy foods. Your parents usually make you eat some broccoli or lettuce. To get
kids to eat healthier, find a healthy food they like. I mostly just like fruit. I’m
kind of a fruit bat. I like to come down in the middle of the night and eat a
plum.
Being a dietitian might be a good career for someone else, maybe if they were all
chubby and lost weight on a diet. There’s lots of other things you could do. I
want to be a broker or a lawyer.

There was a study that showed that most Americans are overweight. If there
were more dietitians, fewer people would be overweight and you wouldn’t see all
these fat people running around.
Program Design
The most practical program design for elementary students involves presentations with
hands-on learning activities that have a “Wow!” factor—activities that get kids
excited and engaged. This works best with small to medium sized groups, and may
involve parents as well. Normally such programs are coordinated with teachers and
presented as enrichment activities during class time, or for after school activities. It
is also possible to coordinate these presentations with Girl Scout or Boy Scout troops,
and other youth organizations.
One-on-one career-focused mentoring is generally not recommended for elementary

school children. When children that age need mentors, it is most likely for social and
emotional support, as in the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Programs. However, a dietetics
professional may elect to become a “Big” and share some of the dietetics activities
with his/her “Little.”
The specific classroom activities included at the end of this section are intended for
use with students in K-8, and have been field-tested by members of the ADA Diversity
Mentoring Project Steering Committee. Some of the foods may be unfamiliar to
children of various backgrounds. While kids are often leery of trying new foods, they
are more likely to sample strange delicacies if they have had a hand in the
preparation. In the interest of appreciating diversity, you can encourage children of
all cultures to become more cosmopolitan in their culinary choices.
Working Together with School Administrators

The key to a successful program in elementary and middle schools is to have buy in
from principals and guidance counselors or teachers who will be responsible for day-
to-day program operation. As leader of the school, the principal must give the
program his or her seal of approval. After that point, he or she probably will not be
involved extensively.
The Building Our Future mentoring program manager for your organization should meet
the other school representatives involved and give them a clear understanding of the
program and the roles different people will play. Be upbeat and positive about the
commitment the school is making, and trust that the people in charge have the
appropriate skills to do the job. Expect that not everyone will be enthusiastic about
the assignment; give them time and the special attention they may need to want to
succeed. A poor relationship with any school personnel involved in the program will
guarantee failure.
After everyone in the schools is on board, do three things:

• Be clear about roles and when things should happen. An understanding of how
things work and who does what will make participants more comfortable, and it
will give them a sense of ownership in the program.
• Tell them you will make the program as easy for them as possible. Remember that
this may not be the only program from an outside organization that the school is
conducting.

K-8 and Community Outreach
• Present the model of the program you see as ideal, but be open to modifications
school personnel may need to fit their curriculum, time frame, etc. Working as a
partnership will be more successful than anything else.
Then, consider the following:
• Timing—If you want to start the mentoring program at the beginning of the
school year, meet with the principal the previous spring. Adequate lead-time gives
principals and staffs a chance to digest the information and plan.
• Workload—Find out what other extracurricular programs the schools are

conducting so you will know whether they are overwhelmed with partnerships.
Assess with the principals how much time the schools have for the mentoring
program and how it can be best integrated into the curriculum.
• Measures of success—What outcomes are most desirable for this segment of the
program? There may be more than one, such as introducing students to practicing
dietitians or dietetic technicians, giving students a basic understanding of the
dietetics profession, and showing students how dietetics affects their lives. Discuss
your measures of success with the school administrators. Keep school
administrators updated on the progress of the mentoring program. Make sure they
know everything that is happening.
• Specificity—Be specific about what you need and expect from the schools
throughout the year. Ask them to be just as specific with you. Make sure there is
an action plan and people who are accountable. Only when everyone has signed off
on the plan can you expect them to comply.
• Recognition—Never let an opportunity to recognize the schools pass you by. For
example, feature programs and people in your newsletter. Use photos and quotes.
Coordinate local media interest in your mentoring program. Recognize school
personnel in the mentoring program during the holidays with an event or a gift,
such as a poinsettia, so they will be motivated to continue following the holiday
break. Invite school personnel to your regional dietetics conference. Ask them to
be guest speakers and talk about the program’s success in their schools. Be
creative with ideas for recognition; everyone likes to be thanked!
Developing Partnerships with Community

Groups and Parents
Remember that in addition to working with schools, you also can partner with
community groups and parent organizations to obtain the resources to make your
program even more successful. Although every city and town has different service
organizations, community groups such as the Boys and Girls Clubs, and parent-teacher
groups, such as PTA, may have materials and other resources that could be helpful.
If you plan to work with another organization, make sure your goals and values are
compatible. To find the groups in your community with an interest in mentoring, log
on to The National Mentoring Partnership’s Website at www.mentoring.org.

Communicating with Children

Based on their stages of development, children in grades K-8 will have a wide range
of attention spans, dexterity, and ability to absorb the information presented to
them. Learning styles also are important, as all people at any age have a primary way
of receiving information.
• Kindergarten through third grade

Expect that children in kindergarten through third grade will have short attention
spans. They will only be able to process one or two major points in a single session.
However, they will enjoy hands-on activities; so prepare lessons that include simple
activities. (Refer to the handouts at the end of this section of the toolkit for ideas).
• Fourth through sixth grade

Children in fourth through sixth grades will have greater attention spans. They will be
able to process more information per session and will ask more complex questions,
including questions about careers. This group also will enjoy hands-on activities and
will be able to discuss the scientific lessons included in each experiment.
• Seventh through eighth grade

Young people in seventh and eighth grades will be capable of discussing all aspects of
the dietetics profession. They will be even more interested in dietetics as a career and
should be told of the mentoring opportunities ahead for them in high school. Hands-
on activities should reflect their age and abilities.
In all cases, confirm that the teacher will remain in the classroom during your
session. The teacher knows each child’s personality and should be responsible for any
discipline necessary.
Learning styles
All children have a primary learning style that is based on their culture, personality,
and psychology. Most children are visual learners, meaning that they learn best
through seeing. Some children are auditory learners, meaning that they learn best
through hearing. Some children, a small group, are kinesthetic learners, meaning that
they learn best by doing. Of course, every child uses each of these learning styles to
some extent, but they rely most on their primary learning style.
James Anderson, psychology professor and vice provost of undergraduate affairs for
North Carolina State University, talks about students as relational learners or
analytical learners. Relational learners are holistic, seeing all information as one
picture. They tend to need an example they can relate to in order to understand a
concept. Analytical learners focus on details and concepts. They tend not to need
peripheral information, such as examples.
Be prepared to help learners of all kinds to understand the lesson. For example, when
talking about dietetics, which will reach auditory learners, use photographs and charts
to stimulate visual learners. The hands-on activities will make the lesson clearer to
kinesthetic learners.
Mentors may find the handouts that follow helpful in understanding and
communicating with K-8 students.

DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF CHILDREN
Understanding the following developmental characteristics will help you

communicate more effectively with children.
• Children have a short attention span. Keep your message short and
simple.
• Children are concrete thinkers. Get them busy quickly with hands-on
activities. Intersperse your talking points with activities.
• Children may be shy with a stranger. Get them busy with the hands-
on activities, and they will open up.
• Children have limited vocabularies. Use simple language.

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
Here is a list of hands-on activities that can be used in the K-8 curriculum to create a
“WOW” factor. “WOW” happens when information about food or properties of food not
readily observable is revealed to students as a result of their actions.
1. Herman (the carbon dioxide series) sour dough starter
2. Finding fats in food – the Manny FatsEaten and Etta Little story (full lesson
follows)
3. Making butter from whipping cream
4. Salad shakers
a) effect of salt on volume of salad
b) choosing healthy topping/finding fat on the salad bar
5. Hot roll dough mix

a) making pretzels shaped in form of their initials
b) low fat snack food
6. Apple sauce
a) a naturally sweetened or minimally sweetened dessert
b) why do things change from solid to soft
7. Peanut butter
a) foods with hidden fat/watching the oil separate out
8. Yogurt
a) the carbon dioxide series
b) make whole milk, 2 percent milk and low fat yogurt, sweeten with lots of fresh
fruit (chopped canned or extremely ripe fresh fruit)
9. Ice cream – old fashioned with hand crank

a) dissolving salt in water changes freezing point
b) students measure how cold the water gets with thermometer/record data/make
graphs using Excel
10. Make fruit slushies or popsicles from fresh fruit

a) eating more fresh fruit
b) adding extra sugar makes the slushy softer (extra sugar is not good for people)
11. Making fresh squeezed orange juice or lemonade

a) How many layers or different types of cells are in an orange rind.
b) How does “rind” or the skin of an orange protect it
c) Compare with artificial orange drinks
Approach food companies to secure corporate sponsors for activities. This would give
a partnering aspect with industry and reduce cost to the schools. For example:
• McDonalds for salad shakers

• Five-a-day produce for popsicles
• Florida orange growers for fresh squeezed orange juice
• Dairy Manufacturer’s Association for dairy items
• Local food suppliers for fruits and vegetables or salad ingredients

FINDING FATS IN FOOD – THE MANNY FATSEATEN
AND ETTA LITTLE STORY
Materials Needed
Butter flavored Crisco, 1 can
2 paper plates (with a felt pen, write Manny on one plate and Etta on the other)
Measuring spoons (a set or just a tablespoon and teaspoon size)
Plastic tray
Napkins, 3-4
Pencils for each student
Handouts of Finding Fats in Foods
Lesson Plan
Class Audience: PTA, PTO, health or science class
Class Time: 30 minutes
TIME CONTENT MATERIALS

2 min. Introduction: Review the objectives to
accomplish in next 30 minutes:
1. Discover hidden fats in foods.
2. Open your eyes to just how much fat you
can eat and not know it.
3. Discover how the dietitian can help you
understand this and find out that you can
be a dietitian, too.
5 min. Many of us are eating away from home these

days, and when we aren’t making our own food
we can’t always tell how much food we are eating.
Dietitians are those people who teach you to identify
foods that can be high in fat and not have as much
nutrition for the calories they have.
10 min. “I am a dietitian. If you think you might like to Handout:

do a job like I do, talk to me after the Finding Fats in
demonstration.” Foods
Let’s spend the day with Manny FatsEaten and 2 paper plates
Etta Little and find out just how much fat they Measuring spoons
ate one day. Read case study on the handout. Plastic Tray
Describe the activity. Napkins
Demonstrate the amount of fat eaten from the

foods listed on the menu list for each person
in the handout.
continued

FINDING FATS IN FOOD – THE MANNY FATSEATEN
AND ETTA LITTLE STORY
TIME CONTENT MATERIALS

10 min. As each food item is discussed, place a teaspoon of shortening Plates can be
on the paper plate to represent the number of teaspoons of passed to
fat in that food and have students write it on their handout. emphasize
At the end of the activity ask participants to add the total how much fat
teaspoons of fat eaten by the two characters. Compare calories it is.
eaten and how it relates to heart disease and diabetes risk.
Mention that Manny ate more than one cup of fat in his day
and that even though Etta made low fat choices she still ate
more than the 30-35 percent of calories from fat
recommended.
Concepts to Emphasize as the activity progresses:

Emphasize alternative choices for high fat foods, such as:
• Boiled vs. fried eggs.
• Dry toast or use of less fat on toast.
• Omitting high fat meats at breakfast and eating more whole
grain cereals instead.
• Increasing fruit and vegetable servings throughout the day.
• Combining breads, fruits and vegetables, which are low fat,
with high fat foods to decrease total over the day.
• Ordering plain hamburger instead of breaded, fried chicken
or fish patties. Breading absorbs fat.
• Ordering skinless breast of chicken.
• Ordering sandwiches with bun not grilled, holding the
mayonnaise or butter.
• Ordering low fat milk. Describe one cup of skim milk as fat
free with about 90 calories, 2 percent as the skim with one
pat of butter added, whole milk as one cup of skim with two
pats of butter.
• Eating a smaller serving of chicken (one piece breast instead
of 3 pieces).
Emphasize that restaurant eating is usually high fat and

includes much larger portions than we need.
Illustrate that what we order in the salad will determine if it

is mostly vegetables or fat. The handout salad for Etta is all
vegetables. Emphasize this by having students list all zeros
and asking why vegetables don’t contain fat.
Ask participants if they would eat what is on the Manny plate

with a spoon. We can eat much more fat than we realize when
we eat in a restaurant.
Will any of you change the way you order food next time you
go out to eat?
Ask students to share ideas.

FINDING FATS IN FOODS
Manny FatsEaten and Etta Little ate breakfast at home. Manny enjoyed a big breakfast
while Etta ate the lighter meal.
At lunchtime they had a sandwich at a local fast food restaurant and then went out
for dinner at a restaurant that serves pizza and other meals.
Note: 1 teaspoon of fat = 5 grams of fat. You get nine calories in each gram of fat.
Write in the number of teaspoons of fat each person ate yesterday:
MANNY ETTA
Breakfast Tsp. fat Breakfast Tsp. fat

2 fried eggs _______ 1 bowl raisin bran cereal _______
2 slices toast _______ 1 slice toast _______
2 pats margarine _______ 1 pat margarine _______
2 ounces sausage _______ grapefruit _______
1 cup hashbrowns _______ 1 cup 2 percent milk _______
1 cup coffee _______ 1 cup coffee _______
1 tbsp. coffee rich _______
Lunch Lunch
16 ounces cola _______ 16 ounces diet cola _______
bacon cheeseburger chicken sandwich
1 grilled bun _______ 1 plain bun, not grilled _______
3 oz. hamburger. patty _______ 3-ounce deep fried
2 bacon slices _______ chicken patty _______
1 ounce cheese slice _______ extra lettuce and
2 tsp. mayonnaise _______ tomato _______
small order fries _______ cup fruit cup _______
Supper Supper
3 pieces fried chicken _______ 1 piece fried chicken _______
with skin and breading without skin and breading
1 dinner roll _______ 1 dinner roll _______
2 pats margarine _______ 1 pat margarine _______
Salad: lettuce _______ Salad: lettuce _______
cup cheese _______ cup broccoli _______
1 tbsp. olives _______ cup mushrooms _______
croutons _______ 2 tbsp. tomatoes _______
sprouts _______ sprouts _______
cup blue cheese drsg _______ 2 tbsp. low cal. blue
1 serving french fries _______ cheese salad dressing _______
1 cup whole milk _______ 1 cup 2 percent milk _______
Total fat teaspoons _______ Total fat teaspoons _______
Total calories = 4397 (53 percent kcal from fat) 1563 (37 percent kcal from fat)

KEY FOR FINDING FATS IN FOODS
Write in the number of teaspoons of fat each person ate yesterday:
MANNY ETTA
Breakfast Tsp. fat Breakfast Tsp. fat

2 fried eggs 3
_______ 1 bowl raisin bran cereal 0
_______
2 slices toast 0
_______ 1 slice toast 0
_______
2 pats margarine 2
_______ 1 pat margarine 1
_______
2 ounces sausage 4
_______ grapefruit 0
_______
1 cup hashbrowns 7
_______ 1 cup 2 percent milk 1
_______
1 cup coffee 0
_______ 1 cup coffee 0
_______
1 tbsp. coffee rich ½
_______
Lunch Lunch
16 ounces cola 0
_______ 16 ounces diet cola 0
_______
bacon cheeseburger chicken sandwich
1 grilled bun 2
_______ 0
1 plain bun, not grilled _______
3 oz. hamburger. patty 3
_______ 3-ounce deep fried
2 bacon slices 2
_______ chicken patty 7
_______
1 ounce cheese slice 2
_______ extra lettuce and
2 tsp. mayonnaise 2
_______ tomato 0
_______
small order fries 3
_______ cup fruit cup 0
_______
Supper Supper
3 pieces fried chicken 4½
_______ 1 piece fried chicken 1½
_______
with skin and breading without skin and breading
1 dinner roll 0
_______ 1 dinner roll 0
_______
2 pats margarine 2
_______ 1 pat margarine 1
_______
Salad: lettuce 0
_______ Salad: lettuce 0
_______
cup cheese 2
_______ cup broccoli 0
_______
1 tbsp. olives 1
_______ cup mushrooms 0
_______
croutons 0
_______ 0
2 tbsp. tomatoes _______
sprouts 0
_______ sprouts 0
_______
cup blue cheese drsg 6
_______ 2 tbsp. low cal. blue
1 serving french fries 4
_______ ½
cheese salad dressing _______
1 cup whole milk 2
_______ 1 cup 2 percent milk 1
_______
52 13
Total fat teaspoons _______ Total fat teaspoons _______
Total calories = 4397 (53 percent kcal from fat) 1563 (37 percent kcal from fat)

5. Dietetics Career Recruitment Information
ADA has several age-specific career recruitment materials, including a video, available
for your use in a Building Our Future mentoring program.
For junior high and high school students—grades 6 through 10
• Check it Out…Careers in Dietetics Brochure

• Check it Out…Careers in Dietetics Video
For junior and senior high school and college students
• Check it Out…Becoming a Registered Dietitian – A Food and Nutrition Expert

RD career information fact sheet
• Check it Out…Becoming a Dietetic Technician Registered – A Food and Nutrition
Practitioner
DTR career information fact sheet
• Educational Pathways Brochure
A list of dietetics education programs accredited/approved by the Commission on
Accreditation for Dietetics Education
Sample copies of the brochures and fact sheets are included for your information. To
obtain additional complimentary copies of these brochures and video, use the Career
Recruitment Order Form.

Building Our Future CAREER RECRUITMENT
MATERIALS ORDER FORM
AMERICAN
DIETETIC
ASSOCIATION
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60606-6995
312/899-0040
Career Recruitment Materials Order Form:

Complimentary copies of the following materials are available to assist you with your student
contacts and career-related mentoring.
Quantity/ Quantity
ITEMS AVAILABLE: Package Desired
FOR COLLEGE-AGE STUDENTS:
Check it Out…Becoming a Registered Dietitian—A Food and
Nutrition Expert – RD career information sheet, 1 page –
2 sided, 1/00 50
Becoming a Registered Dietitian—A Food and Nutrition Expert,
black and white master slick, 7/98 (use to make duplicate copies) 1
Check it Out…Becoming A Dietetic Technician, Registered –
A Food and Nutrition Practitioner—DTR career information sheet,
1 page- 2 sided, 1/00 50
Becoming a Dietetic Technician, Registered – A Food and Nutrition
Practitioner, black and white master slick, 7/98
(use to make duplicate copies) 1
Educational Pathways Brochure – a list of CADE approved/
accredited educational programs 5/01 25
FOR JUNIOR HIGH/HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
(6TH – 12TH GRADES)
Check it Out…Careers in Dietetics Brochure, 7/98 50
Check it Out…Careers in Dietetics Video, 1997 1
Please Mail Form To: OR Please Fax Form To:

American Dietetic Association Fax: 312/899-48172
Chicago, IL 60606-6695
Your Mailing Address: _________________________________________________________

ADA Member Number _________________________________________________________
Name _______________________________________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________________________________
(ADA mail code: 0240)

Evaluation of the Usefulness of the
ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit
1. Did you use the Building Our Future Toolkit in: Yes No
Planning ■ ■
Recruiting mentors and protégés ■ ■
Training mentors and protégés ■ ■
Managing and evaluating the mentor program ■ ■
Other ■ ■
2. Please rate the usefulness of the Building Our Future Toolkit on a scale of
1-6, with 1 being not at all useful and 6 being very useful:
Organizing your mentoring program 1 2 3 4 5 6

Recruiting mentors 1 2 3 4 5 6
Recruiting protégés 1 2 3 4 5 6
Training mentors 1 2 3 4 5 6
Training protégés 1 2 3 4 5 6
Managing and evaluating the mentor program 1 2 3 4 5 6
Sample forms and correspondence 1 2 3 4 5 6
3. Please answer the following:
What other information should be added to the Building Our Future Toolkit?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
What information is not necessary in the Building Our Future Toolkit?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Please return to:Beverly Mitchell

Executive Director, CADE
American Dietetic Association
120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000
Chicago, IL 60606-6995
800/877-1600 ext. 5400

The ADA Diversity Mentoring Project was made possible
by funding from the:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration
Bureau of Health Professions
Division of Interdisciplinary Community-Based Programs,
Allied Health Branch

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A m e r i c a n D i e t e t i c A s s o c i a t i o n

Building Our Future

The ADA Diversity Mentoring Project was made possible by funding

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

ADA acknowledges with gratitude the work of Shayne Schneider,

©2001, American Dietetic Association. All rights reserved.

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Summary of ADA Diversity Mentoring Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I

SECTION ONE: GUIDELINES FOR ALL

3. Recruitment and Screening

Marketing Your Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Goals for Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

5. Evaluation and Recognition

Establishing Measures of Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

6. Select Resources on Mentoring

Texts, Monographs and Journal Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

SECTION TWO: GUIDELINES FOR FOUR

1. College - Declared Majors

Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

3. High School Students

Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

4. K-8 and Community Outreach

Goals and Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

5. Dietetics Career Recruitment Information

Check it Out…Careers in Dietetics Brochure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Summary of ADA Diversity Mentoring Project

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit I

How To Use This Toolkit

This toolkit will enable you to:

II ©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Diversity Mentoring Project

Glenda Price, PhD, Co-chair

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit III

Summit Participants/ Julie O’Sullivan Maillet, PhD, RD, FADA

IV ©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Steering Committee Consultant

Co-Chair: Shayne Schneider, MEd

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit V

Section One: Guidelines for All Mentoring Programs

However, underrepresentation of African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans

In all health professions, adequate representation of minority people is necessary for

• The prevalence of obesity is much higher in minority women. Among women,

• African Americans experience higher rates of at least 3 of the serious compli-

• Prevalence of type 2 diabetes among Native Americans in the United States is

• The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is 2 times higher in Latinos than non-

• Women and Heart Disease: An Atlas of Racial and Ethnic Disparities in

The number of minority students enrolled in undergraduate dietitian education

2 ©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Diversity and Mentoring

When organized formally, mentoring can be a powerful tool to encourage interest in

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit 3

Mentoring is valuable to mentors, as well. A dietetics practitioner working with

Mentor Program Goals

To increase cultural diversity in dietetics now and in the future by

©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit 5

To successfully complete a dietetic technician program and pass the

For high school students, the goal is:

For students in kindergarten through eighth grade, the goal is:

Mentor Program Objectives

6 ©2001 ADA Building Our Future Mentor Program Toolkit

Phone (w)_ (h) ____

1. ________ Phone: _

2. ________ Phone: _