Posted by eporter on July 22, 2026
Helping Mentees Start the School Year Strong Through Goal Setting
The start of a new school year brings a fresh set of opportunities. New teachers, new classes, and new experiences offer students the chance to reset after summer break and think about what they hope to accomplish in the months ahead.
For mentors, this is the perfect time to help mentees look forward instead of backward. By working together to set meaningful goals, mentors can help young people develop a concrete plan to succeed in the upcoming school year and start forming daily habits that support their goals.
This is the third and final article in our series on supporting students throughout the school year. Previously, we explored how mentors can help students re-engage after winter break and finish the school year strong by developing a growth mindset. In this blog, we will explore how mentors can help support mentees’ academic success from the very beginning of the school year.
Why Goal Setting Matters
Many students begin the school year with good intentions, but without a plan, those intentions can quickly fade. Goal setting gives students direction. Rather than simply hoping for a successful year, students begin thinking intentionally about what they want to achieve and the steps they can take to get there. By helping students create a plan, mentors can help build students’ skills and students can take that first step towards meeting their goals.
Academic goals can be endless and do not have to be limited to grades and good test scores. Mentors can encourage mentees to individualize their goals to meet their specific hopes, dreams, and interests. Goals can include topics such as:
Helping mentees identify goals that are personally meaningful increases their motivation to work toward them.
Helping Mentees Set and Maintain Realistic Goals
One of the most valuable roles a mentor can play is helping a mentee break large goals into smaller, achievable steps. For example, instead of setting a goal like “get better grades,” a mentor might help a mentee identify specific actions they can take each week, such as:
Once goals are set, mentors can help mentees stay motivated by regularly checking in on their progress, celebrating milestones, and adjusting goals as interests and circumstances change. The small successes build confidence, making students more likely to continue working toward larger goals. When mentees are struggling to meet their goals, mentors can provide encouragement to keep going.
Preparing Mentors to Guide Goal Setting
Before mentors can help a mentee set meaningful goals, they need the skills to guide conversations that encourage reflection, identify priorities, and develop a plan for success. Effective mentors do not simply tell mentees what they should achieve. They ask thoughtful questions that help young people discover what matters most to them and how they can work toward those goals.
Mentoring Central’s Promoting Enhanced Resilience & Learning (PERL) training teaches mentors and mentoring program staff strategies to facilitate goal-setting conversations, help mentees set achievable goals, encourage self-reflection, take steps to creating an effective plan of action, and support mentees as they create realistic plans for achieving what is important to them.
Throughout this three-part blog series, we have explored the three pillars of PERL: academic engagement, growth mindset, and goal setting and planning. These concepts are interconnected and reinforce one another. A growth mindset helps mentees believe they can develop new skills and overcome challenges. Goal setting and planning turn that belief into meaningful action. Academic engagement helps mentees stay on track to meet their goals and keeps them motivated to continue learning and growing.
Ready to equip your mentors with strategies that support student success?
A new school year is more than a fresh start. It is an opportunity for students to imagine what they can accomplish. By helping mentees set meaningful goals and supporting them throughout the journey, mentors can encourage young people to stay engaged, overcome challenges, and celebrate progress along the way.
Explore Promoting Enhanced Resilience & Learning (PERL) and learn how mentor training can help young people build a growth mindset, set meaningful goals, and stay engaged throughout the school year: Promoting Enhanced Resilience & Learning (PERL).