The Mentoring Lab

The Mentoring Lab focuses on youth mentoring training and development. Its audience includes both newcomers and experienced professionals working in education, community organizations, and the voluntary sector. The approach is presented as evidence-based and designed to strengthen the work of people who support young people, particularly those from marginalized communities.

The organization was founded by Elaine Isadora Thomas, whose youth mentoring experience informs its programs. Rather than stopping at an introductory session, the catalog connects training with practical resources and support so the tools can be applied in mentoring programs. The organization also describes a social aim of expanding equity, social capital, and opportunities for young people’s mobility.

The training pathway has several levels. It includes an introduction to youth mentoring and online essentials courses, practitioner-level training, Youth Mentor Academy programs for different experience levels, and continuing professional development. The organization also lists peer mentoring and training for specific settings; content and duration depend on the course selected.

Practice courses combine reflection on the mentor’s role with tools and techniques for supporting young people. The Mentoring Lab presents some sessions as one-day CPD training and also offers a four-day program for practitioners who want to deepen or update their practice. Individual course pages describe the format and included materials, so the programs should not be treated as interchangeable.

The catalog is complemented by resources for teams and organizations: the Youth Mentoring Tool Kit, ready-to-use training materials, workshop guides, and support tools for developing programs. The organization also offers project-design consultancy and support related to grant applications, allowing its work to range from individual development to planning a community program.

Along with training professionals, the organization describes one-to-one outreach mentoring for students and young people. Its website connects that work to the Tool Kit approach and names goals such as confidence, attitudes toward learning, and the ability to navigate barriers. It also presents a digital platform connecting freelance mentors with young people and supporting collaboration among professionals; those services are distinct from in-person training.

The contact page lists an office at 478 Barking Road, Newham, London, E13 8QB, and also includes the address Atterbury, Fairbourne Drive, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, MK10 9RG. The Mentoring Lab offers the option of scheduling an introductory Zoom call to discuss its services. The combination of training, resources, and consultancy addresses several parts of mentoring, from professional development to program design.