Blackburn Mentoring works with Jacksonville and Northeast Florida families by video. Our team is in Los Angeles, and clients in San Marco, Riverside, Mandarin, the Beaches, Ponte Vedra and St. Johns County meet one dedicated mentor online every week, scheduled in Eastern time. We work with high school students and their parents, college students, young adults and professionals.
A big city that does not feel like one
Jacksonville covers more land than any other city in the contiguous United States, and it often feels like a set of distinct communities rather than one place. The St. Johns River divides it, the Atlantic beaches sit on the eastern edge, and many families live south of the city in St. Johns County, where the public schools have a strong reputation. Neighborhoods like Riverside, Avondale and San Marco have an older, walkable character; Nocatee and the suburbs along the I-95 and I-295 corridors are newer.
The economy leans on logistics and the port, financial services, health care, and a large Navy presence. That last part shapes a lot of family life here.
Military families and frequent moves
Jacksonville is home to major Navy installations, and many families arrive on orders, stay a few years, and move again. Teenagers in those families get very good at adapting, and also very tired of starting over. Deployments can leave one parent running the household alone for months.
A video mentor has one practical advantage for these families: the relationship does not end when the family moves. A student can keep the same mentor from Jacksonville to the next duty station, with sessions simply switching time zones. With permission, a deployed parent can receive progress updates too.
What we often help with here
- A high school student new to the area who is struggling to settle into a new school and routine.
- A capable student at a strong public or independent school whose effort has dropped since freshman year.
- A college student at one of the colleges and universities in Northeast Florida, or away at school elsewhere, who needs a weekly structure.
- A young adult leaving the military or a first job and deciding on the next step.
For many of these, our guide on building a daily routine is a good first read.
Beach town or river town, the week still needs a plan
Life near the ocean pulls teenagers toward surfing, the beach and long summer days, and Jacksonville summers are hot, humid and stormy in the afternoons. Hurricane season runs June through November. None of that is a problem; it just means the weekly plan has to fit real life. A mentor helps a student build a routine with room for the things they love, and check in midweek when it starts to slip.
Times and format
Northeast Florida is on Eastern time, three hours ahead of Los Angeles. A 5 pm session in Jacksonville is 2 pm for the mentor. Sessions run 30 or 60 minutes, weekly or several times a week, on a weekly or monthly plan.
- 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.
How a mentor fits
Mentors are consistent, practical guides, not tutors, therapists or admissions counselors. For teenagers, see mentoring for high school students; for people in their twenties, see young adult mentoring. How online sessions run is on our online mentoring page.
Related
- Online mentoring in Orlando
- Online mentoring in Atlanta
- Mentoring for families
- Building teen confidence
Common questions
Can my child keep the same mentor if we move?
Yes. Sessions are online, so a student can keep working with the same mentor after a move anywhere in the United States, with sessions rescheduled to the new local time.
Can a deployed parent stay involved?
With the family’s permission, progress updates can go to both parents, so a parent who is away can follow along and stay part of the goals.
Do you meet clients in person in Jacksonville?
No. Jacksonville clients work with us by video, with text and phone contact between sessions.
Get started
Want to talk about a student or young adult in Northeast 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.