Profiles in cultural humility: Examining differences in openness to training and match length among volunteer mentors

This study uses a person-centered approach to identify cultural humility profiles among volunteer mentors, and examines differences in openness to training and match length between groups. Survey data from 99 volunteer mentors (65 % female;Mage = 34; 89 % White) at a mentoring organization, and 2-year follow-up data on the mentoring relationship status were used to test study aims. Analyses revealed three profile groups of mentor cultural humility based on four variables (i.e., unawareness of racial privilege, self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic support, ethnocultural empathy, and plans for social justice action).TheHigh Cultural Humilitygroup (n = 37) had low unawareness of racial privilege, and high self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic support, ethnocultural empathy, and plans for social justice action. TheEmerging Cultural Humilitymentors (n = 32) reported low unawareness of racial privilege, but relatively low self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic supportand ethnocultural empathy, and average plans for social justice action, and theLow Cultural Humilitymentors (n = 30) reported relatively higher unawareness of racial privilege and lower plans for social justice action, but higher self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic support and average ethnocultural empathy. Between-profile differences in openness to training (e.g., prior training, value in future training, and employment in helping profession) and match lengthwere identified.TheHigh Cultural Humilitygroup reported more prior training compared to both other groups, and greater value in training compared to theLow Cultural Humilitygroup but not theEmerging Cultural Humilitygroup. The proportion of helping professionals was as expected in theEmerging Cultural Humilitygroup, but theHigh Cultural Humilitygroup had more helping professionals and theLow Cultural Humilitygroup had fewer than expected. Match length in community-based matches at 2-year follow up was significantly shorter in theLow Cultural Humilitygroup than the other two groups. Findings have implications for developing program practices in youth-serving organizations that may be beneficial for mentors who are less open to training and at-risk for match closure.