January 2009

Bright Idea: Sometimes Six Mentors Are Better Than One

When Annette Klinefelter sat down to design a mentoring program for girls in Portland, Oregon, the professional women who would serve as the program’s mentors had a few minor stipulations.

They were busy, with constant deadlines and travel. They couldn’t volunteer after 5 p.m., when family obligations kicked in. They wanted to interact directly with girls, but they didn’t want to disappoint a young person if other duties called.

No problem.

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