People in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney and the wider Inland Northwest can work with a Blackburn mentor by video. Each client has one dedicated mentor, meets weekly or more often, and checks in by text or phone between sessions. Spokane and our Los Angeles team share Pacific time, so there is no time math at all.
A river city with room to breathe
Spokane is built around its falls and Riverfront Park, the old Expo ’74 grounds, with the Centennial Trail running east toward Idaho. It is the regional center of the Inland Northwest for health care, education, government, manufacturing and agriculture, with a large military installation to the west. Housing has historically cost less than on the west side of the state, and many families have moved over from Seattle for that reason.
For young people, Spokane offers a manageable size and outdoor access, from ski days on nearby mountains to summer lakes in north Idaho. It can also feel small to a teenager looking for something more.
Spokane by the numbers
These Spokane County figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Spokane County (American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year, and the Vintage 2025 estimate for age).
- 20.7 percent of residents are under 18 (county level). There are a lot of families raising kids here, and a mentor’s job is often to help a teen turn a “nothing to do” week into a plan.
- 40,421 veterans live in the county (county level). Many teens grow up in military or veteran households, and many young adults are working out how service experience translates into civilian work.
- A median gross rent of $1,283 a month (county level). Rent is lower than across the mountains, which makes a first apartment more reachable here, as long as a young adult has steady income and a budget.
- 33.1 percent of adults 25 and over hold a bachelor’s degree or higher (county level). Two-thirds of adults built careers without a four-year degree, so trades, health care certificates and apprenticeships deserve as much attention as college.
- A mean commute of 22.5 minutes and a median household income of $78,582 (county level). Drives are moderate, but winter roads and rural distances make a session from home the easy choice.
Helping teens who feel there is nothing to do
A common complaint from teenagers in mid-sized cities is that there is nothing going on. Usually there is more than they think; they just do not have a plan to find it. A mentor helps a student pick one or two pursuits worth real time, such as a job, a sport, a volunteer role or a creative project, and build a week around them. See volunteering for teens and a teen’s first job.
Families who moved over the mountains
Families relocating from Puget Sound or out of state often find the move harder on teens than expected. A new school, new friends and a different pace all arrive at once. A weekly session with the same mentor gives a student one constant through the transition and practical goals for settling in.
Young adults choosing to stay or go
Spokane-area young adults face a real choice: build a life in the Inland Northwest or head to a bigger city. Both are valid. A mentor helps them make the decision on purpose:
- List what they want from the next three years: work, money, people, place.
- Research actual jobs and costs in Spokane and in the cities they are considering.
- Talk to people who stayed and people who left.
- Set a decision date and a plan for either answer.
A young adult who moves to Seattle or Portland keeps the same mentor at the same weekly time, and one who stays gets help turning a local job into a career with a clear next step.
Session times from Spokane
Spokane runs on the same Pacific clock as our mentors, so the time you book is the time the mentor sees.
- After school: 3:30, 4:30 or 5:30 pm in Spokane, identical in Pacific time for the mentor.
- After work: 6:00 to 8:00 pm Pacific, the most popular window for young adults with day jobs.
- Early morning: 7:00 am sessions are available for someone who starts a shift at 8 or 9.
- Weekends: Saturday and Sunday slots are available year round.
North Idaho families in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls are on Pacific time too.
Winters, school and work in the Inland Northwest
Washington districts mostly start in late August or right after Labor Day and run to mid June, later than many states. Winters are cold and snowy with early darkness, which is when motivation dips for a lot of teens, and dry summers can bring wildfire smoke that cancels practices and closes trails for days. Students in outlying parts of the county may ride a bus a long way to school.
The Idaho line is a short drive east, and many families live in one state and work in the other, which affects tuition, jobs and even which school district a family belongs to. Families most often ask us whether a mentor can help a teen keep motivation through a long winter, how a young adult can choose between college and a trade, and whether sessions can run after school.
Situations that come up often in Spokane
- A family moved across the Idaho line and is sorting out which state counts as home for college tuition.
- Smoke days in August wipe out a teen’s practice schedule and summer job hours.
- A student in rural Spokane County spends so long on the bus that homework rarely starts before evening.
- Someone priced out of an apartment near downtown is back in a childhood bedroom and wants a timeline to leave.
Where a mentor helps
A mentor is an outside adult who meets every week and keeps the plan on track. Mentors are not tutors, therapists or admissions counselors. For a teen, a parent can join the intro call and get updates when needed; start with motivation coaching for teens. For a young adult building a first budget and job plan, job search coaching for young adults is a good place to begin. Read about video sessions on our online mentoring page.
Related
- Mentoring in Washington
- Online mentoring in Seattle
- Online mentoring in Boise
- Online mentoring in Bozeman
Common questions
Do you serve Spokane and Spokane Valley by video?
Yes. Clients in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Liberty Lake, Cheney and north Idaho work with their mentor by video. In-person sessions happen only in Los Angeles.
Can a mentor help a Spokane young adult with budgeting and a first job?
Yes. A mentor helps build a simple monthly budget, a job search routine and a plan for the first months on the job. Weekly follow-up keeps both on track when the routine gets tested.
What session times work for Spokane families?
Spokane and our mentors share Pacific time, so a 4 pm after-school session is 4 pm for everyone. Evening, early-morning and weekend times are also available.
Do you help young adults decide whether to move away?
Yes. Mentors help them research options, set criteria and pick a decision date. Then they plan the next steps either way.
Get started
Have someone in the Inland Northwest who could use a mentor? 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.
Last updated .
Free, by video, 20 minutes, with a member of our team. Weekdays 9 to 5 Pacific.