Abstract: Upward Bound (UB) is one of eight programs funded by the U.S. Department of Education that many universities host. The program is designed to support low-income and/or first-generation college bound students in their matriculation to university (U.S. Department of Education, 2021). Some institutions’ UB programs include interventions like social events, peer mentoring, and cultural experiences to further engage these potential college students. While significant research has been conducted on the outcomes of UB and various interventions included in these programs (Epps et al., 2016), little research has examined the preparation of individuals delivering the interventions. Specifically, this abstract describes an ongoing effort to design a training program designed to better prepare UB peer mentors and proposes a potential model of evaluation following best practices in HRD approaches. As this is an action research project currently in progress, no data can be reported. Regardless, our approach may yet be useful for individuals with student development responsibilities and program evaluators. One of the most powerful tools for developing and advancing human capital is mentoring (Carter & Youssef-Morgan, 2019). Mentoring has been heavily researched in the field of HRD as a tool to increase job satisfaction, commitment, performance, and other work-related attitudes (Thurston et al., 2012). Moreover, it has also been researched as a successful intervention in educational settings. More specifically, student peer mentoring can be an important predictor of student achievement. For example, Lorenzetti et al. (2019) reported that graduate students benefited from peer-mentoring programs aimed at increasing their success. Similarly, Collier (2017) noted that peer mentoring programs can be a critical factor in the success of new undergraduate students. Our UB program includes student peer mentoring as one of the interventions designed to support matriculating highschoolers. However, what has received less attention is how to effectively train and develop the student peer mentors. In this regard, we take a wholly HRD approach in situating the UB peer mentors as employees and aiming to develop their performance capabilities. We focus specifically on the Summer Academy component of our UB program, a four-to-five-week experience in which UB students live on campus, take seminars to prepare them for college classes, and receive mentoring by a current college student (a Residential Mentor, RM). RMs are treated as employees of the UB program and are responsible for guiding, developing, and advising Summer Academy participants. In the past, little has been done to adequately prepare the RMs for their roles. To address this, we propose a targeted training intervention aimed at preparing mentors for an emotionally challenging environment that requires skills like emotional intelligence, servant leadership, active listening, and adaptability. To scaffold the development of this training, and to aid in future evaluation, we propose using Kaufman and Keller’s (1994) five-level model of training evaluation. This model was specifically chosen because of its inclusion of and emphasis on societal level impact. We see this as a perfect fit for a program like UB because “society is the primary client and beneficiary” (Kaufman & Keller, 1994, p. 377) of increased educational attainment and student success. Thus, we propose the following outcomes for the Residential Mentor training program in Table 1.
Table 1 Upward Bound Mentor Training Proposed Outcomes Level Description Proposed Outcomes 1a Input o Course materials are at the appropriate level o Course materials support effective knowledge acquisition and application o Course materials are accessible for all learners o Course materials address overall training objectives
1b Process o Facilitators utilize appropriate pedagogical strategies o Location, timing, and duration are appropriate to meet learners’ needs
2 Acquisition o Understanding of mentoring roles and processes o Understanding of emotional intelligence and communication strategies o Understanding of Chickering’s student development theory o Knowledge of components of summer academy including o Knowledge of program planning
3 Application o Ability to successfully mentor matriculating students o Ability to communicate effectively o Ability to plan and provide programming for large groups of students
4 Organizational Results o Increased retention of residential mentors o Increased enrollment in Summer Academy o Increased motivation of UB participants o Increased graduation rates of UB participants
5 Societal Consequences o Increased educational attainment for low-income, first-generation students
This study will contribute to providing a higher-quality experience for both RMs and the UB students they mentor. Additionally, framing this project from an HRD perspective and incorporating an evaluation design up-front will provide valuable data to inform other peer-mentoring initiatives on our campus as well as in other UB programs across the nation. Keywords: mentor training, evaluation, Upward Bound
