Beyond the norm: Extraordinary relationships in youth mentoring

This study explores relationship quality in a community mentoring program, which matches children and youth with adult mentors. Using data from a 10 year longitudinal study, the article focuses on objective and subjective factors in mentoring relationships. These factors include match length, frequency and type of contact and subjective evaluation of the match by parents, children and mentors. Qualitative aspects of the study include stories of exceptional matches which were awarded the annual match of the year award. The longitudinal data and extraordinary stories challenge a number of assumptions about the mentoring relationship. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.