Blackburn Mentoring serves Baltimore and the Maryland suburbs by video. Our team is in Los Angeles, and clients in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Howard County and around Annapolis meet one dedicated mentor online every week, with sessions in Eastern time and text or phone check-ins between them. We work with high school students and their parents, college students, young adults and professionals.
Baltimore families and the independent school world
Baltimore has a long tradition of independent schools, and in neighborhoods like Roland Park and Guilford and suburbs like Ruxton, Lutherville and Pikesville, many families have a child in one. Howard County, around Columbia and Ellicott City, is known for strong public schools. Either way, students often carry long days, sports and a full load of advanced classes.
What we hear from parents is rarely about intelligence. It is about follow-through, motivation and a teenager who needs to hear the same advice from someone who is not their parent.
Questions to ask before you call anyone
- Is the problem skill (planning, studying) or will (motivation, interest)? Often it is both.
- Is your teenager willing to try one conversation with a mentor?
- What would be different in eight weeks if this works?
- Are other professionals already involved, such as a tutor or counselor, who a mentor should coordinate with?
You do not need clean answers. These are the questions we explore on the free intro call.
Between DC and Baltimore: young adults on the move
The Baltimore area sits right next to Washington, and many young adults live in one city and work in the other, commuting on MARC trains or I-95. Others are finishing degrees at colleges and universities in the area and deciding whether to stay. A mentor helps turn a vague sense of “what next” into a plan: a job search schedule, a budget, a move, a skill to build. See the quarter-life crisis if that feeling sounds familiar.
Session times from Maryland
Maryland is on Eastern time, three hours ahead of Los Angeles. Common arrangements:
- After school, 4 to 6 pm Eastern (1 to 3 pm for the mentor).
- Evenings for working clients, up to around 9 pm Eastern.
- Weekend sessions for families who prefer to keep weeknights clear.
Four seasons and a school calendar
Maryland gets real seasons: humid summers, a short stretch of perfect fall weather, and winters with enough snow and ice to close schools a few days a year. The school year generally runs from late August to mid June. We often see families reach out in two windows: right after first-quarter grades in the fall, and in late spring when parents start thinking about the summer and the year ahead. Either is a fine time to start; so is any other week.
What a Baltimore family can expect
- Take a short assessment. Tell us about the student or yourself and the goals. It takes about five minutes.
- Have a free intro call. Our team reviews it personally and sets up a short call.
- Meet the mentor. We match each person with a mentor whose experience and style fit.
- Start the plan. 30 or 60 minute video sessions on a weekly or monthly plan, scheduled in your local time.
Parents of high school students join the intro call, help agree the goals and receive regular progress updates. College students and adults decide what gets shared and with whom.
How a mentor fits
Mentors are not tutors, therapists or admissions counselors; they are consistent, practical guides who help people do what they already know they should. For teens, see mentoring for high school students. For people in their twenties, see young adult mentoring. The full picture of online sessions is on our online mentoring page.
Related
Common questions
Do you have an office in Baltimore?
No. Our team is in Los Angeles, and Baltimore-area clients meet their mentor by video with text and phone contact between sessions.
Can you work with a student in Howard County or near Annapolis?
Yes. Anyone in Maryland, or anywhere in the United States, can work with us online, with sessions scheduled in local time.
Is there a minimum commitment?
Plans run week to week or month to month. Rates and plan options are reviewed on the free intro call.
Get started
Ready to talk about a student or young adult in Maryland? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.