Southwest Florida families can work with a Blackburn mentor by video from Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Estero or anywhere in Collier and Lee counties. Each person gets one dedicated mentor, sessions are set in Eastern time, and text and phone check-ins keep the plan moving between meetings. Our team is based in Los Angeles.
A coast that changes size every winter
Life on the lower Gulf Coast runs on two calendars. From roughly November through April, seasonal residents arrive, traffic on US 41 and I-75 thickens, restaurants fill and spring training brings baseball crowds to Fort Myers. Then summer comes: heat, afternoon thunderstorms, hurricane season and a much quieter town.
For a teenager or young adult who grew up here, that rhythm shapes everything from part-time work to social life. Seasonal jobs in hospitality and retail are plentiful in winter and thin out in summer, which is exactly when students are free. A mentor helps plan around that: lining up work early, using the slow months for a skill or a course, and not letting a quiet summer turn into three months on a phone.
Growing up in an older community
A large share of residents in Naples and the surrounding area are retirees. A high school student may feel there is little to do; a college graduate who moves home may find few peers and a job market tilted toward health care, construction, real estate and tourism. Neither is a dead end, but both call for a deliberate plan.
- For teens: a weekly structure for school, a job or volunteer role, and one or two interests that get real time. See building a teen summer plan.
- For young adults home after college: a job search routine, a savings target and a timeline for the next move. See moving back home after college.
- For anyone feeling isolated: a concrete plan to meet people, which a mentor will actually follow up on.
After the storms
Hurricane Ian in 2022, and Helene and Milton in 2024, left lasting marks on Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Cape Coral and other coastal communities. Some families rebuilt, some moved, and some students had a school year interrupted. A mentor cannot fix disruption, but one steady weekly appointment that continues by video, wherever the family is staying, gives a young person something that does not move. Because sessions are online, they keep going through an evacuation or a temporary move.
Scheduling from Southwest Florida
Southwest Florida is on Eastern time, three hours ahead of our team. A 4:30 pm session after school in Naples is mid-afternoon for the mentor, and evening slots up to around 9 pm work well for young adults with daytime jobs. Families who split the year between Florida and a home up north keep the same mentor and the same time slot in both places.
How it works
- 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.
For high school students, a parent or guardian joins the intro call, helps agree the goals and receives regular updates. College students and adults decide what is shared.
Where a mentor helps
A mentor is a practical guide and an accountability partner, not a tutor, therapist or admissions counselor. Teen families usually start with mentoring for high school students, and young adults with young adult mentoring. The details of how video sessions run are on our online mentoring page.
Related
- Online mentoring in Sarasota
- Online mentoring in Tampa
- Online mentoring in Miami and Palm Beach
- Mentoring for families
- Online Mentoring and Coaching in Florida
Common questions
Do you meet clients in person in Naples or Fort Myers?
No. Our team is in Los Angeles, and Southwest Florida clients work with their mentor by video, with text and phone contact between sessions.
Can sessions continue if we evacuate for a storm?
Yes. Sessions are online, so they can continue from wherever the family is staying, as long as there is a quiet spot and a connection.
We spend summers up north. Do we need a new mentor?
No. The mentor stays the same and sessions are scheduled in whatever time zone you are in that week.
Is this tutoring?
No. Mentors help with goals, routines and follow-through, and can coordinate with a tutor a family already uses.
Get started
Would it help to talk about a student or young adult in Southwest Florida? 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.