What time commitment can a mentor expect?

Relationships and a sense of bonding develop over time so the duration and consistency of a mentoring relationship is extremely important. Mentors and mentees should meet regularly at least four hours per month for at least a year. There are exceptions for school based mentoring - which coincides with school year - and other types of special mentoring initiatives. In such circumstances, mentees need to know from the beginning how long they can expect the relationship to last so they can adjust their expectations accordingly.