Weekly Training Resource
This week’s training resource is the ninth chapter, about building critical consciousness and youth activism, of a training called Becoming a Better Mentor.
How does this help me in my mentoring relationship? “When we think about mentoring, our imaginations are often limited to an idea of just ‘spending time with’ or being a ‘connection’ for a young person. While those things can be of tremendous importance, they may not be enough to fully support young people, given the context we all exist in. We all must recognize that our shared context of racism, sexism, ableism, trans-antagonism, homo-antagonism, and other “isms” not named here, create a harmful and toxic context for all of us. If mentoring is defined as a caring relationship focused on the consistent support and positive development of a young person, how can any form of true mentoring be done without acknowledging what’s happening around us?”
Don’t forget to fill out the response form after completing each training.
Challenge for the Week
For October, the challenges will center around the theme of Character Education. This week’s challenge is to teach your mentee about citizenship. Citizenship involves many aspects of how a person can act as a responsible member of society (conserving resources, following rules and laws, volunteering in your community and voting in local & national elections). A good place to start might be with giving your mentee a self-evaluation like the one in this link. Here you can also find great discussion questions that will help you learn about your mentee’s views and understanding of what it means to be a good citizen. Another idea is to read about some kids who contributed to the common good and tried to make the world a better place. Check out this list of kids who started nonprofits! What ideas does your mentee have for contributing to the common good at school or in their neighborhood? Brainstorm with your mentee and then help him/her put their idea into action! Whatever you decide to do, be sure to talk, listen, share and learn together!
Tip of the Week
Mentoring someone who has experienced trauma can also have an effect on you. It’s important to take care of yourself so that you do not experience Secondary Traumatic Stress. Signs of Secondary Traumatic Stress may include:
-Poor Boundaries
-Hypervigilance
-Avoidance
-Inability to empathize
-Minimizing
-Chronic exhaustion
-Anger/cynicism
If you find yourself experiencing any of these symptoms, be sure to reach out to a friend and/or family member, talk with your primary health care provider or seek mental health support.
We love seeing photos of you and your mentee spending time together! Please share them with us via your coach or using the hashtag #intentionalmentoringmadison
Mentor Coaching Group Meeting Dates
VAL: Monday, October 24th 6:30 – 7:30pm val@intentionalmentoringmadison.org
RYAN: Monday, November 7th 5:30 – 6:30pm Ryan@intentionalmentoringmadison.org
Upcoming Events to Note
- There are a lot of cool and FREE events at the Dream Bank on E. Washington St.. Check out the AmFam Dream Bank site for more info and to register.
- Free Library Events/Activities: Fitchburg Events Calendar Madison Events Calendar
- For Orchard Ridge events check Orchard Ridge Calendar
- For Toki events check Toki Calendar
- For Sennett events check Sennett Calendar
- For Cherokee events check Cherokee Calendar
- For Blackhawk events check Blackhawk Calendar
- For Memorial HS events check Memorial HS Calendar
- For West HS events check West HS Calendar
- For La Follette HS events check La Follette Calendar
If you have a change in personal information (phone/address/email) please respond to this email or notify your mentor coach ASAP.
All the best,
Intentional Mentoring