Families in Naperville, Wheaton, Downers Grove, Hinsdale, Elmhurst and across DuPage County can work with a Blackburn mentor by video. Each person has one dedicated mentor, sessions run in Central time, and text and phone contact keeps things moving between meetings. Our team is in Los Angeles, and clients here meet us entirely online.
The western suburbs, on a Metra schedule
A lot of DuPage households run on the Metra BNSF and Union Pacific West lines, or on long drives along I-88 and I-355. One parent may commute into the Loop while the other works at a corporate or research office along the I-88 corridor. The result, for many families, is a full calendar: travel sports, lessons, clubs and a steady stream of college talk.
The pressure is usually well meant. It can still leave a teenager going through the motions, or a young adult who did everything right and does not know what they want.
What parents here often describe
Doing fine on paper, quietly struggling
Grades are acceptable and the schedule is full, but the student is tired, short-tempered or withdrawn. A mentor helps the student look at the whole week, cut what is not working and protect sleep. Parents may find our guide does my teenager need a mentor? helpful.
The first year away did not go to plan
Some students leave for college and come back at winter break with poor grades or a decision to take time off. A weekly plan, a job or class, and a clear date to reassess make that time useful instead of anxious.
The graduate living at home near the train
Plenty of young adults move back to the western suburbs while working downtown or looking for work. A mentor helps with a job search routine, a budget and a timeline for getting their own place.
Using the seasons, not fighting them
Chicago-area winters are long, and the stretch from January to March is when many students lose momentum. Summers along the Naperville Riverwalk and at the forest preserves are the opposite: lots of free time and little structure. A mentor helps a student plan both, with a simple winter routine and a summer that includes work, a skill and some rest. See building a teen summer plan.
Scheduling from Illinois
DuPage County is two hours ahead of Los Angeles. A 4:30 pm session after school is 2:30 pm for the mentor, and evening times can work for young adults with day jobs. Sessions are always set in your local time.
Where a mentor helps
A mentor is a consistent adult outside the family who keeps the plan honest every week and shares progress with parents when the client agrees. Mentors are not tutors, therapists or admissions counselors. Teen families typically begin with mentoring for high school students, and families with a returning college student may want college transition mentoring. More about video sessions is on our online mentoring page.
Related
- Online mentoring in Chicago
- Online mentoring on the North Shore
- Mentoring in Illinois
- Mentoring for families
Common questions
Do you have mentors in Naperville?
Our mentors are based in Los Angeles. DuPage County clients meet by video, which also lets sessions continue when a student leaves for college.
Can a parent with a long commute stay involved?
Yes. A parent joins the intro call and agrees the goals, then receives regular progress updates that do not require being home at session time.
Is this the same as tutoring?
No. Mentors work on goals, habits, planning and follow-through rather than teaching a subject, and they can coordinate with a tutor if the family has one.
Get started
Have a student or young adult in DuPage County in mind? 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.