Formal Mentoring
Relatively structured and programmatic, formal mentoring involves a sustained relationship between a mentor and mentee. It provides the mentee with long-term guidance and support, counters the potential effects of harmful past and present interpersonal relationships, and reinforces pro-social bonding. It involves regular contact and usually screening and training as well as on-going support and/or supervision of the mentor. Formal Mentoring can usually be categorized into one of the following groups.

• Group Mentoring Programs—involves one or more adults mentoring a group of two or more people.
  
• One-to-One Mentoring—involves one adult mentoring one young person. The one-to-one contact can be achieved through an individual-to-individual relationship or team approach.
  
• Team Mentoring Programs—involves two or more adults mentoring at least one young person. Each mentor spends time with each youth and participates in a group activity such as tutoring or job readiness. Another team approach allows youth access to any of several adult mentors, depending on the special needs of the mentee or on the mentors’ schedule and availability.

Informal Mentoring
A relationship between a caring individual and a person in need of support or guidance where regular contact may or may not occur between the mentor and mentee. Informal mentoring can include assistance by an organized service or organization and may take on several different forms. Some of these include:

• E-Mentoring/CyberMentors—mentors and mentees “chat” via the internet and e-mail.
  
• Athletics—including organized, intramural and “pick-up”
  
• Youth Groups—religious and unaffiliated organizational groups