A powerful rationale for mentoring comes from the longitudinal research of Emmy Werner and others who have found that adult relationships, i.e., natural mentoring, not only provided by parents and grandparents but by neighbors, teachers, and other concerned adults provide a protective factor for youth growing up in stressful family and community environments. Although mentoring programs are probably characterized more by their diversity than similarity, the essential component, by definition, is the focus on the development of a one-to-one relationship between an adult and youth that continues over time and focuses on the youth's social and academic development. Some goals of mentoring are to provide youth access to the community resources they need, stimulation for positive and high expectations, the experience of reciprocity in a caring and trusting relationship, and the experience of sustained personal commitment from an adult. Some limitations of mentoring programs are the relatively brief nature of the relationship and the failure of the structure of the relationship to replicate the characteristics of daily interactive contact in a variety of situations to guide the youth. Guidelines for the development of an effective mentoring program include assessment of program needs and resources; the securing of school district commitment; the identification and selection of planning team members; the refinement of program goals and objectives; the development of activities and procedures; the recruitment, selection, and matching of mentors and students; the training of all participants; the monitoring of progress; and the evaluation and modification of the program. The paper also discusses the value of using mentoring as part of a comprehensive continuum of support services, as well as the infusion of mentoring into family, school, and community life. 67 references