ABSTRACT

Alumni mentoring in social work allows students to connect with experienced practitioners in a nonevaluative context and for alumni to strengthen university connections. This study describes and evaluates one established student–alumni mentoring program. Pretest (n=277) and posttest (n=153) data were collected from participants across 3 years. Results indicated that the mentoring relationship between alumni and students was most often fulfilled through informal meetings and the teaching of life skills, followed by professional and career development. More than one-third of students identified the program as helpful to their academic success, while the majority of alumni felt the program had potential for strengthening school–community relationships. Lessons learned and implications of alumni mentoring programs in social work education are discussed.

摘要

社会工作中的校友指导使学生能够在非评估性的环境中与经验丰富的从业者建立联系，并让校友加强与大学的联系。本研究描述和评估了一项已建立的学生-校友指导计划。前测 (n=277) 和后测 (n=153) 数据是从参与者的 3 年内收集的。结果表明，校友与学生之间的师徒关系最常通过非正式会议和生活技能教学来实现，其次是专业和职业发展。超过三分之一的学生认为该计划有助于他们的学业成功，而大多数校友认为该计划具有加强学校与社区关系的潜力。