Blackburn Mentoring is available to families and young adults in Knoxville, Farragut, Maryville, Oak Ridge and the rest of East Tennessee by video. Each person has one dedicated mentor, meets weekly or several times a week on Eastern time, and can text or call between sessions. Our team is in Los Angeles, so the mentoring happens online.
Between the mountains and the lab
Knoxville sits in the Tennessee Valley with the Great Smoky Mountains on the horizon. The region’s economy has an unusual mix: a national laboratory and related energy and research employers in Oak Ridge, the federal power authority headquartered downtown, higher education, health care, manufacturing and a steady tourism trade heading toward the mountains.
Family life often involves the outdoors: hiking on weekends, the lake in summer, football in the fall. Seasons are distinct but mostly mild, with hot summers, colorful autumns and short stretches of real winter cold.
Eastern time, not Central
Tennessee is split between time zones, and Knoxville is on Eastern time, while Nashville and Memphis are on Central. For scheduling, that means Knoxville is three hours ahead of Los Angeles. A 4 pm session is 1 pm for the mentor, and a 7 pm evening session is still afternoon in California. We set everything in your local time.
When expectations run high
In some households, kids hear a lot about effort, precision and getting things right. Some thrive on it. Others feel they cannot measure up, or they quietly decide not to try. A mentor offers a different kind of attention: help with the practical side of the week and with goals the teen actually cares about.
- Breaking a big project into small, scheduled pieces.
- Building study habits that work without a parent standing over them. See executive function skills.
- Exploring interests that might not show up on a transcript.
- Talking about the future without it turning into a lecture.
College students and the big campus effect
Many East Tennessee students attend one of the area’s colleges and universities, from large public campuses to smaller private colleges and a strong community college network. A big campus can be energizing and also easy to get lost in. A mentor helps a student build a weekly rhythm, keep up with classes and handle setbacks before they snowball.
Young adults building a life here
Knoxville is drawing young professionals who want a lower cost of living and access to the outdoors, and many local graduates stay. Common goals include finding a first career job, getting serious about a budget, moving out of a parent’s house and building friendships after college.
Where a mentor helps
A mentor is a consistent adult who helps someone set clear goals, make a weekly plan and follow through, with text and phone support in between. For high school students, a parent or guardian is always part of the process. Teens usually begin with mentoring for high school students and adults with young adult mentoring. The online mentoring page explains the video format.
Related
- Online mentoring by video
- Mentoring for high school students
- Mentoring for college students
- Online mentoring in Nashville
- Online Mentoring and Coaching in Tennessee
Common questions
Are Knoxville sessions on Eastern or Central time?
Eastern. Knoxville and most of East Tennessee are on Eastern time, and sessions are always scheduled in your local time.
Can a mentor help a teen who is strong in math and science but unmotivated?
Yes. A mentor works on goals, habits and follow-through, and helps a student connect schoolwork to things they care about. Mentors do not tutor specific subjects.
Do you meet in person in Tennessee?
No. In-person mentoring is only in Los Angeles. In Knoxville, all sessions are by video.
Get started
Want to talk about a teen or young adult in East Tennessee? 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.