Contact a mentoring agency. Big Brothers, Big Sisters is a national organization that connects mentors with children who need them. Many communities have local agencies that perform a similar function. This is a good way to mentor a sixth grader, if you do not have one to whom you are already close.
Consider your schedule, your other obligations and your capacity for taking on an important role in a sixth grader's life before making the decision to mentor. Talk to a representative of the mentoring agency about the commitment required to work with a child. It is important to be able to offer consistency to the child you are mentoring.
Set up a regular time to spend with the sixth grader you are mentoring. Find out if he has sporting events you can attend or if there is some skill you have that you can share with him, such as playing a musical instrument or tutoring a difficult subject. Again, it is important that the schedule be regular and that you are able to maintain it with the rest of your obligations.
Share some of your favorite things with the child you are mentoring. A sixth grader is usually 12 years old. He is old enough to enjoy sporting events, your favorite books from your childhood, or learn the basics of a skill you have to share.
Be available to the child you are mentoring. Listen to him without judgment, pay attention to his ideas and do what you can to facilitate the things he wants to do and learn in the time you have together.