Yes, anyone in Minnesota can work with a dedicated Blackburn mentor by video. The whole state is on Central time, two hours ahead of our Los Angeles team, and every session is booked in your local time. High school students (with a parent involved), college students, young adults and professionals meet their mentor online each week, with text and phone check-ins in between.
Why video makes sense in Minnesota
Two reasons stand out. The first is distance: more than half the state lives in the Twin Cities area, but the rest is spread across farm country in the south and west, lake country in the middle, and the North Shore and Iron Range in the northeast. The second is winter. A weekly appointment that depends on driving in January is a weekly appointment that gets canceled. Online sessions keep going in any weather.
Regions and the work that drives them
The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul host a remarkable number of large corporate headquarters for a metro of their size, across retail, food, finance and health care, along with a strong medical device industry. Rochester is built around a world-known medical center and the health care jobs that come with it. Duluth sits on Lake Superior with a port, health care and outdoor tourism, and the Iron Range to its north has a long mining history. St. Cloud, Mankato and smaller cities serve wide agricultural regions, and agriculture and food processing remain central to the state’s economy.
Schools, colleges and who goes where
Minnesota is known for strong public schools and was an early leader in school choice options such as charter schools and taking college courses during high school. There are also independent and religious schools, especially in the metro. Higher education includes a public university system with a flagship research campus and several regional campuses, a separate system of state universities and community and technical colleges across the state, and many private colleges.
Many Minnesota students stay in state or cross into neighboring states, and others head to the coasts. Students from the Dakotas, Wisconsin and beyond come in. Whichever direction a student goes, the first year away is where good habits are tested.
Who we work with here
High school students and their parents
Teenagers who are bright but disorganized, who are taking college-level courses and feeling the load, or who have no clear idea what comes after graduation. A parent joins the intro call and receives regular progress updates. See mentoring for high school students.
College students
Students at a big campus who feel anonymous, students at a small college far from home, and students who came back after a rough semester. Read about mentoring for college students.
Young adults and professionals
People in their twenties starting careers in the Twin Cities or Rochester, those living at home and unsure of a direction, and professionals who want accountability for a career change. See young adult mentoring.
What sessions look like
- 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.
Because Minnesota is two hours ahead of Los Angeles, a 4 pm session is 2 pm for the mentor and evening slots are easy to schedule. Full details are on our online mentoring page and on mentoring for families.
Pages for areas in Minnesota
Nearby: Madison, Des Moines and Sioux Falls. All states are listed under mentoring by state.
Related
- Online mentoring in Michigan
- Online mentoring in Madison
- Homesick college freshmen
- How to build a daily routine
Common questions
Are Minnesota sessions in Central time?
Yes. All of Minnesota is on Central time, and sessions are scheduled in your local time even though our team is in Los Angeles.
Can a mentor help a high schooler taking college courses?
Yes, with the planning side: managing deadlines, balancing two calendars and building study routines. Mentors are not tutors and do not teach course content.
What if winter weather or travel disrupts the week?
Sessions are online, so they continue from home, a dorm or a trip. If a session needs to move, the mentor reschedules and keeps in touch by text or phone.
Get started
Thinking about a mentor for someone in Minnesota? 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.