| Summary: | The concept of mentoring has been increasingly applied in programs aimed at adolescent development in different contexts. Among these, we highlight the school and community contexts because of its relevance in adolescents’ life trajectory. Given the growing popularity of these programs, integration of theory and research is necessary to fulfill its goals of cultivating and supporting caring relationships between youth and nonparental adults. In this article we present a new approach to adolescents’ development, the perspective of positive development, and its justification as theoretical foundation in the development of mentoring programs. This perspective, as opposed to the traditional focus on solving maladaptive trajectories, conceptualizes youth as having potentials and resources to develop. In this sense, we present evidence to support how the relationship of adolescents with caring adults and responsible peers, mentors, can contribute to the positive development.
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