November 2023 Mentoring News

Published

Training for Programs

Introduction to TMP Services & Elements of Effective Practice

Wednesday, November 15, 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

This informational session is intended to introduce mentoring programs to the technical assistance, training, and network services provided by The Mentoring Partnership. The foundation of our services is based on the six Elements of Effective Practice, a collection of research-informed practices for youth mentoring programs. You will learn those elements as part of this session. Attending this training is also the first step in the Quality Coaching process. Sessions are currently being done virtually. You must be registered to attend. Registration will close 2 days before the scheduled session. Click here to register!

Training for Mentors and Mentees

Virtual Mentoring 101 Training

Saturday, November 11, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

This interactive training program provides participants with an introduction to mentoring and what to expect as a mentor. Topics like the "mentoring lifecycle," communication skills, establishing boundaries, and appreciating diversity will make it easier for mentors to navigate relationships with their mentees. This training is appropriate to introduce new volunteers to the field of mentoring and to refresh current mentors on best practices. Registration will close once the training is full or 2 days before the scheduled session. Click here to register!

 

Youth Mental Health First Aid

Thursday, December 14, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Youth Mental Health First Aid teaches you how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders in youth. This 8-hour training gives adults who work with youth the skills they need to reach out and provide initial support to children and adolescents (ages 6-18) who may be developing a mental health or substance use problem and help connect them to the appropriate care. Participants will complete a 2-hour, self-paced online class, and then attend a 6-hour, Instructor-led videoconference. Click here to register!

Program Development

Apply Now! The 2023-2024 NMRC Grant Cycle is Open!

Are you looking to strengthen your program according to research-based youth mentoring best practices? Are you thinking of how to finesse your mentee and mentor recruitment strategy? Do you need help developing virtual trainings for your volunteers? Would you like assistance in creating a logic model or participant surveys? 

 

To support programs and organizations that serve youth and/or families, TMP offers no-cost technical assistance through the National Mentoring Resource Center to provide resources and coaching on research-based best practices and strategies rooted in the nationally recognized Elements of Effective Practice for youth mentoring. Trained staff at TMP can assist you and your program with topics such as e-mentoring transitions, recruitment, virtual mentor/mentee training, closure procedures, and many others! 

 

Reach out to TMP by emailing Ashley Wineland (awineland@mentoringpittsburgh.org) to discuss how we can best support you and your work!  

 

Register for the Mentoring Connector - A FREE Service to Help Recruit Mentors

Did you know that there is a free service to help you recruit more volunteers and increase visibility for your mentoring program? Each year, potential volunteers looking for mentoring opportunities do more than 80,000 searches in the Mentoring Connector. It's easy to register your program and make sure that volunteers can connect with you:

 

  1. Go to https://www.mentoring.org/what-we-do/mentoring-connector/.
  2. Click the "Add a New Program" button.
  3. Complete the form and provide information on your mentoring program. Remember that this information will be visible to anyone searching for your programs through the system!
  4. Click "Submit" when finished.

Questions about the Mentoring Connector or process to add your program? Contact Ashley Wineland at awineland@mentoringpittsburgh.org.

Community News

Magic of Mentoring Recap  

TMP hosted its biennial Magic of Mentoring event on Tuesday, October 10th at Acrisure Stadium. It was an amazing evening dedicated to all the magic-makers who build, nurture and grow strong relationships for all young people in our community and beyond. Thank you to the 500+ friends who joined us -- and those who celebrated from afar! This celebration wouldn’t have been possible without the endless encouragement from our mentoring programs, mentors, and supporters. We are so very grateful for all of the support and thank each and every one of you who signed on as a Program Partner, who purchased an ad or tickets and/or who joined us with staff and board members! We really appreciate you and hope that you enjoyed the night.  Check out the links below for photos, videos and more! 

National Mentoring Summit

Wednesday, January 24 - Friday, January 26, 2024

The National Mentoring Summit will be held on Jan. 24-26, 2024 at the Renaissance Washington, DC (soon to be a Westin property). The event begins with Capitol Hill Day (Jan 24th) and continues with great workshops and events at the summit. We hope that you'll join us and hundreds of others to learn and share! Click here to learn more!

 

Don't Forget to Check Out Mentor Chat! 

Season 5 is here! Do you ever wonder how you can be a better mentor or caring adult to young people? Join Ashley and Sophia this season to talk about the Becoming a Better Mentor Guide: Strategies to Be There for Young People! You'll hear from special guests, learn real-life tips, and more! The first episodes are out now so check it out on our website or search "Mentor Chat" on all major podcast listening platforms.

 

Welcome Kimberly Doubt -- TMP's New Director of Training and Program Development

We are thrilled to welcome the newest member of the TMP team, Kimberly Doubt, our Director of Training and Program Development! Kimberly will oversee our work to provide impactful training and resources to our program network and community so that the highest-quality mentoring is available to all young people in Western PA. Feel free to reach out to Kimberly to say hi and to learn more about TMP's latest offerings. She can be reached at kdoubt@mentoringpittsburgh.org.