Mentors with ASI help provide motivation, direction, coaching training and advise to our interns. ASI’s programs connect people who have specific skills and knowledge (mentors) with individuals (protégés) who need or want the same skills and advantages. By being a mentor, dedicated individuals help our youth and college students to move up in work, skill level, or school performance.
The benefit of mentorship programs are four fold: they include the mentee, mentor, organization and our HR committee.
Mentors groom future ASI and community leaders encouraging self growth, an understanding of our organization, partners organizations and communities we serve as well as provide increased networking opportunities. In a spirit of comaraderie, mentors and mentees work together
The value Mentors bring to ASI is immense: For the organization, they increase engagement of volunteers on many levels, helps us to stream line communication, build a talent pipeline, encourage collaboration and create a success driven team spirit that defines our organization. For our funders, our mentorship program helps improve our efficiency and best utilize our resources so we are able to reduce the cost of hiring consultants and the induction and training of new staff.
One-point contact also helps support the work of the HR Team. These dyads provide administrative support saving executive time and help assemble reports that measure and tracking their own achievements and those of our organization within the community. Teams split tasks suited to their interest and abilities and find teamwork rewarding. Often mentors find that mentees have technology skills that they can benefit from learning from too. There is a valuable push and pull of traditional and innovative approaches directed from our nonprofits 22 years of experience, interests in research and hand-on approach to testing new ideas.
Mentees navigate better on organizations vision when they have one on one support. They understand our roles and expectations , develop critical thinking skills and help in many ways including assisting teaching, facilitating events, social media, design and research.
Mentors help mentees gain the confidence and encouragement that they need. They benefit by sharing their knowledge and enjoy leaving a legacy with mentees who are passionate, energetic and appreciative.
ASI attract participants to our mentorship program by promoting the benefits to participants and stakeholders on social media and volunteer forums, giving recognition and awards to participation, providing training and reinforcement throughout the program.
Our assistant teachers also get the opportunity while being mentees by an experienced lead teacher to be mentors to our youth. Assessment questions we ask mentees include: did they increase student attendance, help with homework, improve student mood or ability to communicate interact with classmates. Did their students decrease their tardiness or disciplinary referrals. Did students report positive changes with their relationships with teachers, school support and instructional support. We also are concerned with formative assessments such as are parents and site staff supportive and satisfied with our programs and are the mentors and mentees participating in the program as intended.
By collecting pre and post test data, parent, site staff, teacher and student surveys , attendance and participation rates, and in person meetings and observations, we are able to monitor the satisfaction of our constituents for our programs. Through the use of our blog posts as a method of journaling about our programs (that detail lesson plans and document programs through photographs of students and their artwork), mentors and mentees can track their successes. Our web site is also rich in resources to help able to develop mentor and mentee relationships, break down barriers to engagement, provide additional support for our mentees and training for our mentors. Our staff writes recommendation letters and letters of support to help our mentees and mentors get the skills and share skills so they can move to to the next level of their academic pursuits, careers or change careers in a warm and caring environment that nurtures innovative learning, experimentation and growth. To learn more about how you can contribute your services and expertise to ASI, please contact volunteer@artsphere.com.