5. (Before) How to Set Up a Mentor Event
(Before) How to Set Up a Mentor Event
How to ask a mentor:
Clear communication is key when you are in contact with a mentor. It is essential that you are prepared to use and develop the following golden rules of professional communication:
- Be succinct.
- Respond to any questions promptly.
- If you don’t have the answers right away, commit to finding the answer and responding.
- Follow through with any commitments.
Before you ask:
Are you clear on the whole process of how the mentor will be supported to engage with your program? If not, ask your director/supervisor for direction and make sure your team is aligning on the process you will use!
When asking a mentor to participate in your program, include the following in your initial invitation:
- Give a little background information about the club, camp, or virtual program.
- Be sure to:
- Describe your audience (ie age, number of youth, etc.)
- Outline your Expectations/Goals
- Explain how the mentor presentation or participation relates to what youth will be learning or have already learned in the program
- Provide any other relevant background information about the program and the youth
- Always highlight the value that mentorship and their support adds to programs and the benefits for youth.
If you are asking a Knowledge Keeper or Indigenous Elder to be involved in your program or an event, be sure you are familiar with appropriate protocols for how to ask. If you are unsure, ask your director for guidance on how to check.
- For example, in some communities when you ask for an Elder Knowledge Keeper to share their knowledge, you would offer a gift as part of the ask for them to share their knowledge. They may accept the gift if they agree to share their knowledge instead of accepting the gift after sharing their knowledge. Being respectful of these practices is important in building relationships.
| Minds On: The communication skills you can develop and strengthen through mentor engagement planning and execution are applicable for many future careers. Consider how you might explain to a prospective employer that your communication, initiative, and leadership skills are strong by drawing on your experience with coordinating role models and planning mentor events. |
Resources and Supports for Mentors
Mentors will need to be supported in developing a presentation and experience that is age appropriate and relevant to your program. To support this, we have a number of resources you can provide to mentors.
Mentorship Handbook
Pre-Session Call
Always set up a call with the mentor in the early stages of your planning and execution process for events. Prior to mentoring at the camp, it’s important to have a phone call or face-to-face conversation with the mentor to review all of the above pieces of information and answer any questions they may have. The pre-session call with a mentor is a great time to make connections between the mentor’s knowledge and your STEM club, camp or event.
Regardless of the type of mentor event you are having, it is important during the pre-session call to go over logistics for the event, key information and time to answer any questions. During the call, it can be helpful to remain professional, positive and express gratitude for the mentor’s time and expertise.
More Communications with Mentors
The following is a list of things you want to make sure you communicate to involved mentors. Be sure to have written confirmation (email) that the mentor is aware of this key information.
Key Information:
- Date
- Time
- In person events:
- Where to park (Is a parking pass available?)
- Where to meet (add a map when possible!)
- AV needs during the presentation
- What number to call if they run into any issues day of
- Any support with materials
- Virtual events:
- How to join (it can helpful to offer to have a preliminary call to show the mentor the virtual platform in advance)
- Tech requirements
- How to get in touch if they run into technical issues
- Additional information the mentor needs such as;
- Any required photo/video permission forms are provided
- Any required primer information on your club or camp
- Remember to ask yourself and your team - Who else needs to know about the event? (e.g your Director, your institution’s communications team, media)
| Minds On: Approaching someone in your network such as a professor, community leader or colleague to participate in a mentor event or as a program role model may seem daunting, or commonplace depending on your relationship with this person. Regardless, you should view this process as valuable to building your professional future skill set. Initiative, confidence and social intelligence skills can be strengthened by engaging with others outside your immediate work circle in professional settings. How might you explain to a future employer that you have experience approaching others to support you or getting others to be involved in your events/projects? |