JUNIOR COHORT PROGRAM MENTOR

General Description:

Program Mentors interact with student participants in multiple roles including facilitator, coordinator and coach. They fulfill these roles primarily within a team of students. Mentors ensure that each member of their team participates in all aspects of the program during sessions and in activities between sessions. Mentors help students develop leadership skills and qualities such as critical thinking, teamwork, active listening and self-awareness. Working closely with the Program Coordinator, mentors assist with the preparation, planning and delivery of learning sessions and communicate with their team on an ongoing basis.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

  1. Read, absorb and prepare for the delivery of the junior cohort program curriculum.

  2. Participate with other mentors in student applicant interview sessions and select the junior cohort.

  3. Prepare for and attend the student/parent orientation session at the onset of the school year.

  4. Be well-prepared for and attend program sessions, site visits to nonprofit organizations and all other program activities as described in the curriculum.

  5. Maintain contact with your student team members between sessions as advisable.

  6. Archive program documents received from the Program Coordinator including curriculum, lesson plans, student information, session documents and related materials.

  7. Advise and assist your student team members in planning and carrying out community service projects and participate with the students in the delivery of such activities.

  8. Assist in the planning and delivery of the year-end Capstone Ceremony.

  9. Attend a post-program mentor meeting to evaluate the delivery of the program.

  10. Make a gift of any size to the program during the school year.

Minimum Qualifications:

  1. Able to make an initial 2-year commitment to be a mentor.

  2. Possess general knowledge of philanthropy and nonprofits.

  3. Able to devote the time necessary to carry out the responsibilities.

  4. Demonstrate satisfactory results of a background check.

Desirable Experience and Qualities:

  1. Prior experience working with teens, parenting teens and/or serving in a volunteer program with teens.

  2. Demonstration of a commitment to civic engagement.

  3. Good writing and speaking skills, well organized, effective management skills.

  4. Excellent communicator, engaging, sense of humor and flexibility.

Time Commitment:

The Junior Cohort program year runs from October through May. During the school year, on average, Mentors will need to devote approximately 4-5 hours per month to the program. Here are more specific estimates of time and activities:

  1. Mentor Training session(s) prior to the start of the program year (3 hours).

  2. Interview of student applicants along with other mentors (1-4 hours depending on the number of applicants).

  3. Student/Parent Orientation session (1.5 hours).

  4. Mentor prep meetings prior to each learning session (30 minutes/month)

  5. Standard learning sessions with students (2 hours/month)

  6. Nonprofit site visits (1 hour/nonprofit visited).

  7. Community service activities with students (approximately 4 hours overall)

  8. Capstone Ceremony (1.5 hours).

  9. Post-program mentors retreat (2 hours).

A program calendar is created by the Program Coordinator, in close consultation with Mentors and the high schools, as a way to guard against calendar conflicts. However, conflicts may occur that will result in a Mentor’s absence at a learning session. In those cases, the Program Coordinator will fill in for the mentor.

SENIOR COHORT PROGRAM MENTOR

  

General Description:

Program Mentors interact with student participants in multiple roles including facilitator, coordinator and enabler.  They fulfill these roles primarily within a team of students. Mentors ensure that each member of their team participates in all aspects of the program during sessions and in activities between sessions.  Mentors help students develop leadership skills and qualities such as critical thinking, relationship building, active listening and self-awareness. Working closely with the Program Coordinator, mentors assist with the preparation, planning and delivery of learning sessions and communicate with their team on an ongoing basis.

Specific Duties and Responsibilities:

  1. Read, absorb and prepare for the delivery of the senior cohort program curriculum and related activities specifically in the areas of appeal letter solicitation, personal asks for major gifts, grant writing and fundraising events.

  2. Attend and help lead the monthly senior program sessions and all other program activities as described in the curriculum.

  3. Read the session pre-read materials each month and help your team understand the new information.

  4. Participate in at least one student fundraising committee to advise and assist committee members in completing their tasks.

  5. Maintain contact with your student team members between sessions to develop close relationships within your student team.

  6. Participate in return site visits to organizations the students funded last year and help your team report on the findings to the large group.

  7. Advise, assist and participate with your student team members to plan and carry out community service projects as scheduled.

  8. Help plan and organize and attend the Capstone Ceremony.

  9. Attend a mentor’s meeting to evaluate and recommend revisions to the delivery of the program for the following year.

  10. Make a gift of any size to the program during the senior’s fundraising campaign.

Minimum Qualifications:

  1. Possess general knowledge of the nonprofit sector/philanthropy.

  2. Able to devote the time necessary to carry out the responsibilities.

  3. Demonstrate satisfactory results of a background check.

Desirable Experience and Qualities:

  1. Prior experience working with teens, parenting teens and/or serving in a volunteer program with teens.

  2. Demonstration of a commitment to civic engagement.

  3. Good writing and speaking skills, well organized, effective management skills.

  4. Excellent communicator, engaging, sense of humor and flexibility.

Time Commitment:

The Senior Cohort program year typically runs from roughly from September through May. During the school year, on average, mentors will need to devote approximately 4-5 hours per month to the program.  Here are more specific estimates of time and activities:

  1. Attend a Mentor Training or Orientation session prior to the start of the program/school year (2 hours in August).

  2. Attend monthly Mentor prep meetings prior to each learning session (30 minutes/month)

  3. Deliver monthly learning sessions to cohort students (about 2 hours/month).

  4. Participate in community service activities with students (approximately 4 hours overall)

  5. Capstone Ceremony at end of year (1 ½ hours).

  6. Post-program mentors meeting (2 hours).

A program calendar is created by the Program Coordinator, in close consultation with mentors, as a way to guard against conflicts in mentors’ schedules.  However, conflicts may occur that will result in a mentor’s absence at a learning session.  In those cases, the Program Coordinator will fill in for the mentor.