Conversation Club: A Group Mentoring Model for Immigrant Youth:

This mixed-methods research evaluates Conversation Club (CC), a Canadian after-school group mentoring intervention for newcomer youth. The study’s main objectives are to examine the effects of CC on newcomer youth’s experiences of belonging, connectedness, hopefulness, and integration into Canadian society. Using a quasi-experimental design, CC (n = 67) and a comparison group of immigrant youth (n = 25) completed questionnaires focused on sense of ethnic identity, community, belonging, and hope for the future. In addition, a subset of CC participants (n = 13) completed in-depth interviews focused on their experience of the Club. Interview findings suggest that participation in the Club results in an increased sense of belonging and connection for these young people. Implications for research and programs are discussed, focused on ways to enhance and expand innovative group mentoring programs to the important populations of immigrant and migrant young people across Canada and beyond.