The Next Chapter Mentor Network is a five-week mentorship preparation program through The Folded Leaf Foundation. High school students are paired with adult mentors who guide them through a structured experience focused on trust, communication, empathy, boundaries, and leadership.

In Week One, each pair focuses on building trust and learning about one another through personal storytelling, reflection, and shared expectations. The goal is to help the high school student understand their own strengths and begin thinking about the kind of mentor they hope to become.

In Week Two, the focus shifts to active listening and meaningful conversation. Students practice asking thoughtful questions, listening without judgment or interruption, and learning how to make another person feel genuinely heard and valued.

In Week Three, participants explore empathy, differences, and the importance of seeing the whole person rather than making assumptions based on behavior or circumstance. Students learn to approach others with curiosity, humility, and a strengths-based mindset.

In Week Four, high school students learn about healthy boundaries, responsibility, and when to ask an adult for help. Through realistic scenarios, they practice responding to difficult situations and learn that a mentor's role is to care, listen, and support—not to solve every problem alone.

In Week Five, students reflect on what they have learned, create a personal mentoring philosophy, and prepare to eventually mentor a younger student through The Literacy Promise Project. After completing the program, there is a one-month transition period for reflection, preparation, matching, and reconnection before the high school students begin mentoring younger readers.