The Mentorship Program
Mentoring overview
The Mentoring program is a developmental partnership between a Mentor, and a Mentee, a student seeking learning and growth.This is accomplished through the advice, support and the voice of experience from a mentor, who serves as a trusted counselor.
Mentoring is an effective method of developing and supporting students, leveraging diversity and fostering career development. It also creates a continuity of culture, builds a stronger school connection and promotes knowledge sharing. Mentoring as a critical component of development has benefits that extend far beyond those for the individuals involved. Successful mentoring programs and resources have the ability to significantly and positively impact the network by:
– Promoting diversity
– Creating continuity of cultur
– Fostering the sharing and retention of knowledge
– Supporting career development
Mentoring - What it IS and ISN'T
Traditional mentor – mentee partnerships emphasized a one-sided relationships in which only the mentee derived any real benefit. This viewpoint has numerous implications for a mentoring partnership:
1. The mentee may feel as if he or she is asking for too much and is always on the receiving end. Since the healthiest relations are those in which both people feel valued and valuable, setting up an intentionally imbalanced relationship does not facilitate open candid conversations.
2. Mentors will too easily slip back into their role of coach, directing the mentee instead of allowing the mentee to drive the partnerhsip
3. Bother mentors and mentee may overlook opportunities to “switch sides” and allow the mentee the opportunity to “Mentor the Mentor”. The potential for a richer, more robust experience is greatly enhanced when both partners come to the table wanting to give and receive.
