Our research team focuses on understanding the role of mentoring relationships in the healthy development of urban, low-income adolescents of color, particularly Latinx and African American youth. We research natural mentoring (i.e., those relationships that form organically in youth’s social networks) and volunteer mentoring programs utilizing a strengths-based and social justice approach.

Our work examines the role of context and racial processes that are important in mentoring relationships, including systems of oppression and privilege, ethnic/racial identity, racial discrimination, critical consciousness, and social activism. We also utilize a within-group and intersectional approach in our research. We have examined how the intersections of race, gender, class, immigration status, sexual identity, and/or other aspects of identity and context influence the healthy development and educational trajectories of youth of color and their experiences with mentoring. More recently, our team has been conducting research on racial justice interventions targeting volunteer mentors who serve youth of color. We’re committed to disseminating our research to a broad audience, including academic journals and through workshops, training, Op-Eds and blog posts for mentoring practitioners and youth workers.