April 03, 2023, Durham, NC – Building the Foundation for Mentees, iRT’s interactive, research-informed, highly positively reviewed eLearning course for mentees has been modified for delivery in a live, instructor-led workshop, based upon user requests.
Building the Foundation for Mentees introduces youth to the world of mentoring. Youth who are enrolled in a mentoring program for the first time are often unaware of what a mentoring relationship is, what they may do with their mentor, and how they can benefit from the experience. Entering a mentoring relationship with uncertainty and anxiety will yield fewer positive outcomes for mentees, so mentee training is a vital step in the mentorship process. Building the Foundation for Mentees’ six interactive sections contain reinforcing quizzes, real-world scenarios, and engaging activities to motivate mentees to participate in their mentoring relationship, to help mentees develop skills to create and maintain a supportive relationship with their mentor, and to support mentees to build confidence in themselves in their role as a mentee.
The new instructor-led format provides the opportunity for mentoring program staff to conduct the training in person or virtually via video conferencing software. Instructors are provided with a downloadable PDF of the Trainer’s Manual, as well as an online multimedia presentation to guide their instruction and engage their mentees during the live session. Training in a face-to-face environment, whether in-person or virtually, through use of the new instructor-led workshop materials encourages active participation from mentees, facilitates stimulating discussions about opportunities that may arise through mentoring, inspires mentees to ask questions about mentorship, and allows mentoring program staff to receive feedback directly from mentees about their training experience and expectations for their mentoring relationships.
By attending the 30-45-minute workshop, mentees learn the benefits of participating in a mentoring relationship, the roles and responsibilities of mentors and mentees, appropriate boundaries within these relationships, reasonable expectations for the mentoring experience, and ways to prepare to meet their mentor for the first time. Each mentee receives a workbook to use during the workshop that gives them a place to document and reflect on their progress as they complete role-playing activities, hear mentee testimonials, and watch engaging animations. The group of mentees is rewarded with badges for completing milestones throughout the workshop and each mentee receives a certificate of completion at the end for a fun and fulfilling training experience.
If you’re interested in preparing mentees to build and sustain supportive relationships with caring volunteer adults to achieve positive outcomes, try using the Building the Foundation for Mentees instructor-led workshop materials.