MENTOR Community Gathers For MENTOR CON 2021
June 25, 2021
From June 14-17, the entire MENTOR community came together virtually for MENTOR Con, our annual MENTOR-wide gathering. More than 150 staff from the National office and our 24 Affiliates gathered to learn, gain perspective, and socialize. This included our newest Affiliate, MENTOR Georgia, represented by Executive Director Leslie Hale who began her first week with a warm welcome from the entire network.
The event kicked off with an energizing opening plenary session featuring Alejandro Galicia Cervantes, a founding youth board member at MENTOR California, rising junior at the University of California, Davis, and founder of the Dream STEM Initiative, a nonprofit focused on improving immigrant youth computer literacy skills. Alejandro shared his mentor story, saying that his mentor stepped into his life at just the right time. He said, “I was really stuck in a void, dismissing my future, until a buff, intimidating man snapped some sense into me. He asked me what I want to do with my life, told me where I was headed, and told me where I could go.” Alejandro explained that a caring adult walked into his life during his sophomore year of high school when he could make a drastic change in his GPA and become eligible for a four-year university. “All of this happened because of the right timing,” he said, “and unfortunately, that doesn’t happen for all youth.”
The four-day event featured professional development with guest speakers Julia Freeland Fisher who spoke about “Lessons from the Broader World of Social Capital: Intersections of Education, Tech, and Mentoring;” Monique Miles, who shared “Understanding Today’s Workforce Development and Labor Market for Young Workers;” and Dr. Curtis Lewis who spoke about “The Role of Mentoring in the Evolving Educational Landscape.”
Julia Freeland Fisher, director of education at the Clayton Christensen Institute, talked about her work in cataloging education technology tools that put a new relationship within reach for a young person – including mentoring tools and tools inside of schools, such as online tutoring support. She explained how this grew into a wider body of research that looked at what a better networked education system would look like, with the thesis, “ … that opportunity really sits at the cross section of what students know and who they know.”
Monique Miles, Vice President of the Aspen Institute’s Forum for Community Solutions, uplifted the significance of supporting 4.6 million opportunity youth in the United States through workplace mentoring. She demonstrated support for the mentoring movement, saying, “Mentoring, and workplace cultures that promote a mentoring mindset overall, increase job quality, so we hope and expect to see more employers making investments in these type of practices through partnerships so that young workers, particularly those reconnecting to the workforce and/or who have experienced the most serious barriers to success, can persist, thrive, and advance on the job.”
Dr. Curtis Lewis, chief of teaching and learning at U Prep Schools in Detroit and
founder and CEO of Black Male Educators Alliance of Michigan, focused on what schools could look like post-pandemic and how mentoring organizations can support restorative mentoring and authentic relationships. “The pandemic exposed a lot of the inequities that existed in our schools,” he said. “We have an opportunity to rethink and reimagine our schools, how we mentor, and the community partnerships we make.”
We shared and discussed our future goals and priorities as well as a working draft of our racial equity plan. Additionally, open space sessions, co-created with the entire network, featured discussions on an interactive virtual platform, SpatialChat, on a wide range of topics, including Critical Mentoring, A Practical Guide; How Affiliates are Working with Foster Youth; and Working with Indigenous Communities. Affiliate Expansion Director Jess Silverman comments on this format: “Open space is built on a foundation of personal responsibility and passion for the work, and it shows in how themes and actions are carried beyond MENTOR Con. There’s something really joyful and satisfying about the method; it allows for enormous flexibility, lots of connection, and the ability to address the needs of individuals and organizations that are top-of-mind in the moment.”
Day two of MENTOR Con included the exciting announcement that MENTOR was one of 286 nonprofit organizations to receive a portion of the $2.7 billion MacKenzie Scott donated in her latest round of gifts. Board Chair Nancy Altobello commented, “We have been involved with celebrating and communicating this great news as well as meeting with our state Affiliates during MENTOR Con … the group is highly energized and fiercely committed.”
The event culminated with a guest speaker, rising high school junior Daniella “DD” Gonyoe, who read her powerful poem, “My History.” DD shared her thoughts on mentoring: “My advice for mentors,” she said, “is to listen and understand and always give their mentees opportunities.” She said that to elevate the mentor field, we should broaden our scope and connect with those who are hard to reach.
Michelle Thomas, director of training and program development at The Mentoring Partnership of Southwestern PA, shared her reflections, “Despite not being able to connect in person, this year, like every other year, still afforded me the opportunity to engage with colleagues, learn what’s new and exciting in the mentoring movement, and have an opportunity to refresh and re-energize as we move forward in this important work. I personally appreciated the focus on wellness this year as we still feel the effects from the pandemic both personally and professionally.”
Participants also posted their gratitude on kudoboards that were shared at the end of the event. Affiliate to Affiliate, words of encouragement and praise were conveyed, such as “Shout out to MENTOR Central Ohio for always being willing to engage in thought partnership and share ideas/materials. Appreciate the collaboration!” and “MENTOR Colorado crew, you bring this ‘can do’ vibe along with intentional listening and learning … appreciate how you always put equity and voices of young people first!” As we move into the work ahead of us, these inspiring words continue to bolster our spirits and sharpen our focus.