Back to School! REACH Mentorship Program Sets Forth

What is the most sought benefit in a Mentorship Program? Are there incentives for being a Mentor? What are the expectations of Mentees when embarking in this journey?

These are a few of the questions that were examined during the kick-off Workshop of the REACH Mentorship Program on September 3^rd attended by REACH Project and Associated Partners, the REACH Youth Task Force representing the cohort of Mentees, the Mentors identified by each partner organization and other significant invited speakers.

One of the key developments of REACH is the pairing of the Youth Task Force members with experienced mentors selected by the project partners to:

• improve the mentees’ skills in Sport for all development, assist in community project implementation and foster long-term engagement in the host organization

• provide meaningful interactions between experienced professionals and aspiring youth leaders, fostering skill development, guidance, and personal growth

This Mentorship Program will have a duration of 16 months and will serve as a

piloting driver for generating data to develop a Mentorship Charter. This Charter will include the learnings from the program and will be used to provide structured guidance for sport organizations to empower youth and reflect on their mission towards the promotion and good practice of mentoring, establishing a benchmark for ethics and professional conduct.

The Workshop included learnings related to the specific guidelines of the REACH Mentorship Program, but also further knowledge related to general needs and expectations from the participants, tips for Mentors and Mentees, and a round table with speakers with previous experience in mentoring that provided a much welcome insightful perspective.

Mentees and Mentors will now start working on addressing the content of their initial meetings: from formal learning sessions such as workshops or capacity-building assignments to open dialogue and debate seeking advice and ensuring experience-sharing. One thing is clear, participants professed their intention to be committed to learning from this experience and acquire new perspectives and ideas – whether as Mentors or the Mentees, everyone gets to benefit from it!

This approach was firmly encapsulated by the expectations that participants have for this program; sharing, growth, networking, communication, practical experience, learning amongst others.

The Workshop also tackled the general objectives of any Mentorship program so participants can make the most of this experience:

• Providing guidance on specific issues

• Enhancing self-development and critical thinking

• Sharing knowledge on a particular topic or assist with any challenge that surfaces during their assignment

• Providing orientation on work-life balance

• Sharing personal experiences

  
  

Stay alert now for the updated webpage dedicated to the information of the REACH Mentors and Mentees coming soon!