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Fun Ways to One-on-One

Spending time with someone who already knows what you want to know is often the most direct route to learning something new. Similarly, you can share what you know.

The possibilities for learning and teaching through mentorship are endless in the areas of personal growth, life skills and community building.

Gardening: Like to make things grow? Community gardens are a great place to share what you know and to learn new techniques from others. You might pair up with a neighbor, or participate in the American Horticultural Society’s Master Gardeners program (www.ahs.org/master_gardeners), which focuses not only on plants, but also on “people helping people.”

Sports: Great athletes have great coaches. If you want to improve your skills, learn a new sport or pass on your hard-earned expertise, ask around your community to see if there are formal sports mentoring programs, like Minneapolis’s Bolder Options (www.bolderoptions.org), which pairs up adults and youth for running and biking.

Art: Like to write or make pottery? The arts still carry on the tradition of studying with a master. The guidance of those who have faced the same challenges you face can help you learn your craft. And by mentoring, you can be inspired and refreshed by the energy of a younger artist with a different vision.

Trades: In automotive, plumbing, electrical and carpentry work, those in training are still called apprentices. But you don’t have to join a profession to get a handle on some of the basics. Working on a home improvement project? Or want to know more about fixing your own car? Find someone in your neighborhood, at work or through your network of friends who is knowledgeable, and offer to assist him when he works on their next project. You’ll be helping someone out and learning at the same time.

Cooking: The fine art of cuisine is best learned by hanging out in a good cook’s kitchen. If you enjoy a dish at a potluck supper or the barbeque at your cousin’s summer picnic, ask if you can bring the groceries next time and help with preparations. If you notice a younger relative regularly complimenting your cooking, you might offer to have her over for regular Sunday dinners to share your know-how, good meals and company.