The Everett Community College Mentor Project
Mentor Manual 2012-2013
Mentor Project Supervisor:
Karena Hooks
Director of Outreach and Diversity
Outreach, Diversity, and Equity Center
(425) 388-9106
Mentor Project Program Coordinator:
Crystal Nicholson
Retention Project Coordinator
Outreach, Diversity, and Equity Center
(425) 388-9997
Mission:
The mission of the Mentor Project is to recruit college students to mentor local middle and high school youth who are low-income, first generation, and/or students of color. The goal is to develop community partnerships that will support student success and help them identify their career goals, increase their self-esteem, and learn how to navigate the college system.
Vision:
The Mentor Project is committed to supporting efforts to decrease high school and college dropout rates in the Northwest region. In particular, that of students who typically face many social and economic barriers; and to set in motion an ethic of service and civic responsibility that will generationally continue and sustain the attainment of quality education and higher education for all.
Everett Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, or veteran status.Overview:
The Mentor Project will utilize service-learning as a strategy to engage college student leaders and train them to effectively use mentoring best practices. The Mentor Project is committed to four main tasks:
1) Support Youth-Mentee Academic Success and Achievement
○The Mentor Project strives to match middle and high school youth with caring college mentors who value them and their education. Mentors will help mentees work towards achieving academic goals and realize that college is accessible to those who desire it. The Mentor Project Coordinator will provide resources and tools to mentors and mentees to encourage them to develop strategies for overcoming barriers to college access and success.
2) Mentor Retention
○The Mentor Project Coordinator will recruit, orient, train, and support college students to mentor local middle and high school youth so that they may advance along the educational continuum. The Mentor Project Coordinator will prepare mentors for service and provide ongoing guidance, materials, and resources as needed. Additionally, the Mentor Project Coordinator will support the college student mentors by coordinating their activities, acting as a liaison between mentors and their service sites, and facilitating ongoing reflection.
3) College Student Mentor Workforce and Civic Skill Development
○College student volunteers/service-learners will develop workforce knowledge and skills by participating in high quality service-learning activities that include preparation for service and reflection. Participating college students will act as mentors to help mentees overcome barriers to college access and success. Training and support will be provided by Mentor Project Coordinator, Everett Community College Professional staff, and the Washington Campus Compact. Each Mentor will participate in monthly training sessions designed to facilitate the development of workforce skills in effective mentoring, team-building, conflict management, and goal-setting. Furthermore, mentors will be expected to reflect on their service in terms of their academic, personal, and professional goals. These reflection exercises are intended to help the mentors contextualize their service experiences into larger local and global issues. Finally, mentors will be completing surveys that inquire about their service and the way in which it impacted their communities and themselves.
4) Expand Partnerships with Middle and High Schools
○The Mentor Project Coordinator will identify middle and high school partners to participate in the 2012-2013 project. They will strive to create relationships needed to implement expansion and further development of the program so that future middle and high school partners can be invited to participate as well.
In the 2012-2013 academic year, the Mentor Project will serve the following sites:
●Sequoia High School ~ AVID
●North Middle School ~ AVID, GEAR UP
●Minority Achievers Program(MAP) ~ Marysville YMCA
●Voyager Middle School ~ MAP
●Marysville School District Center
●Eisenhower Middle School ~ AVID
●Cocoon House, Drop in Center and Residential Center
Summary of Mentor Project Program Coordinator Responsibilities:
●Carefully screen, train, and select mentors
●Facilitate meaningful mentor/mentee activities
●Evaluate and assess mentor/mentee learning outcomes
●Actively work to improve knowledge and perception of higher education among mentees
Summary of Community Partner Responsibilities:
●Appoint a contact person/liaison who will collaborate with Mentor Project Program Coordinator
●Select students to participate as mentees
●Coordinate and structure mentor visits
●Communicate regularly with Mentor Project Coordinator in order to ensure that the Mentor Project operates within policies and procedures of organization or school
Summary of College Mentor Responsibilities:
●1-3 quarter commitment
●Attend mentor orientation session
●Volunteer at 2 Outreach, Diversity, & Equity Events (see p. 5 #2-4)
●Attend monthly training meetings with Mentor Project Coordinator and cohort
●Meet regularly with mentees
●Professional, respectful, and organized attitude
●Complete all reflection and evaluation assignments
Welcome:
Congratulations on having been selected as a mentor in the Everett Community College Mentor Project. You will work with middle and high school students of all backgrounds and abilities needing support as they approach their current and future higher education goals. Your role is to assist students in understanding and believing that successfully completing their primary education and attending college are both reasonable and attainable objectives. Thus, you will serve as a role model, listener, a sounding board, a coach, and a confidant – in short, you will offer encouragement and support. Rest assured, you are not expected to be an “expert” mentor because mentoring skills are gradually developed over time and you will learn the most by attending training seminars, asking questions, completing evaluation and reflection assignments, and committing to your mentoring schedule.
Mentor Project Outcomes:
Through partnerships with community partners, we seek to provide middle and high school youth the opportunity to form personal connections with college students in order to identify success strategies and gain tools for overcoming challenges in (a) completing middle and high school and (b) completing college application and financial aid processes. Twice a month, mentors will work one-on-one and in group settings with students to provide them with positive role-modeling, strengthen their self-esteem, gain awareness of diversity, and learn how to navigate college and financial aid.
Benefits of Mentoring:
●Increase cultural competency
●Gain awareness of factors that impact educational equity and the achievement gap
●Stand out in scholarship, college, and employment applications
●Learn how to increase college readiness among local youth
●Develop leadership skills to serve as role model
●Gain valuable civic and workforce experience in public speaking, teamwork, problem-solving, interpersonal communication, outreach, conflict mediation, diversity awareness, and writing.
●Join a regional network of Washington state student leaders committed to serving and strengthening their communities
●Be eligible to receive a letter of recommendation to be used for scholarships, future employment, or college transfers
Thus, the Mentor Project aims to not only strengthen the network of youth attending higher education but also cultivate civic and workforce skills of mentors.
2. Volunteer at Family Night College Planning March 6, 2013–EvCC Fitness Center (Time TBD)
3. Volunteer at the Students of Color Career Conference March 28, 2013—EvCC Fitness Center(8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.).
4. Volunteer at Pink Prom April 2013 (Time TBD)–Everett Community College
5. Evaluations May 2013
6. Mentor AcknowledgementNight June (Time TBD)
Mentoring 101:
1. Appropriate attire
When you are on site, please dress in clean, neat clothing and keep the following guidelines in mind:
●no sandals, flip flops, dirty sneakers
●no stained or torn clothing
●skip heavy fragrances
●practice good hygiene
2. Professional behavior
●Always arrive on time, be dependable and responsible
●Be pleasant and courteous with everyone you encounter on site
●Initiate and respond to interaction with mentee
●Maintain confidentiality of student information
●Be respectful of perspectives and ideas that may differ from your own
●Refrain from disclosing any potentially offensive opinions or remarks
●Absolutely no profane, foul, or lewd language
●Do not take any photos of your mentees or of your site
3. Effective Mentoring Communication Habits
●Mistakes are OK, you are not expected to be an expert mentor
●Be positive and optimistic
●Avoid lecturing
●Listen without interrupting
●Ask clarifying questions
●Be interested
4. Establish clear and healthy boundaries
●Regularly communicate with your mentee via email, but avoid texting or cell phone communication
●Do NOT connect with mentees through social networking sites (Facebook, twitter, MySpace etc.)
●Do NOT participate in any romantic relationships with your mentees
●Do NOT meet with your mentees outside of your designated site location or assignment times
●Do NOT engage in any physical touching beyond a professional handshake
5. Mentor Roles
●teacher-share your knowledge and experience as an EvCC student
●problem solver- refer mentees to resources, offer options
●motivator- when your mentee is facing challenges, support them by providing encouragement
●coach- help mentee overcome performance difficulties through positive feedback (reinforce behavior) and constructive feedback (change behavior)
●guide- help mentee set realistic goals. Five goal setting factors: specific, time-framed, results oriented, relevant, reachable.
6. Mentee Roles
●learner- a strong desire to learn new skills and abilities
●decision maker- takes charge of their education
●initiator- mentee must be willing to explore challenges on their own initiative
●goal setter- mentees should determine where they go so that people can guide them to their destination
Five Essential Principles of Effective Mentoring
●Mutual Respect
●Trust
●Realistic Expectations
●Time
●Partnership-Building
Possible Barriers to Effective Mentoring
●There is little discussion
●Differing views of mentoring relationship
●Insufficient time
●Low level of commitment
●Inadequate understanding of roles, boundaries, and contributions/or methods
Mentor Project Attendance Policy:
Dependability is the hallmark of a good Mentor Project mentor and employee. Students, staff, and community partners will rely on your regular attendance and punctuality. In some instances, however, you may need to be excused from tutoring due to emergency or illness.
If you know in advance that you will not be able to mentor during your regularly scheduled time, please let Hajer know that you are rescheduling at least 2 days in advance.
The Mentor Project Schedules will be updated regularly and are consulted daily by Mentors and Staff. During the quarter, you may have to adjust your schedule due to conflicts and or other commitments but please do not alter the schedules without first notifying Hajer.
Forming a Mentoring Relationship:
Phases of Mentoring:
1.Form the Mentoring Relationship
a.Talk! Who are you? What are your passions? What is your story?
b.Who is your mentee? What are they passionate about?
c.What is your mentees’ awareness of/and interest in college?
d.Discuss and agree upon boundaries
e.Determine areas of common interest
f.What activities can you do together?
g.Make a list of goals that you and your mentee would like to achieve through your relationship.
h.PRE-MENTORING SURVEYS
i.Assignments
j.Fun Mentor-Mentee Project
2.Focus on Higher Education
a.What led you to attend college?
b.How did you select your college?
c.How has your journey to college been?
d.What was the college application like for you?
e.What is your major? Career interests?
f.Are you transferring to a 4-year institute? Why or Why not?
g.What is your mentee’s view of college?
h.How far along are they in terms of applying to college?
i.What are your mentee’s goals? Career interests?
j.Discuss different opportunities and pay scales for various professions.
k.Discuss different pathways and options in college: Running start? Honor societies? Clubs?
l.Assignments
m.Fun Mentor-Mentee Project
3.Financial Aid + Scholarships
a.When do you apply?
b.How do you apply?
c.Tips? Strategies?
d.Things I wish someone had told me..
e.Important deadlines
f.Assignments
g.Fun Mentor-Mentee Project
4.Future Prep
a.Review your goals from phase 1, evaluate.
b.POST-MENTORING SURVEYS
c.How does your mentee feel about navigating college?
d.Provide your mentee with resource referrals to organizations and campus departments who can follow-up with them on the college application process.
e.Encourage your mentee to obtain an academic advisor and mentor at their future college location.
f.Thank your site and your mentee for their time and dedication.
g.Assignments
h.Fun Mentor-Mentee Project
i.Mentor Recognition Celebration
Insert Bibliography:
(Harrington, A., Turner, K., Everett Community College Writing Center Training Materials Levels I, II, III. Everett Community College. Everett, WA 2011.)
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