Peer Mentoring Training Notes

Introduction

• Carla, MSW candidate at DU

• Experience in college access and higher education (4+ years)

• Focus: High school to college and navigating higher ed

• Training: Building effective and inclusive mentoring relationships

  • Understanding needs, core principles, and strategies

Who is Carla?

• MSW, student affairs experience with first-gen and college access

• Focus: Empowering environments for vulnerable populations

• Experience:

  • Program coordination (e.g., Summerlink program)

  • Management of student employees

  • DPS collaboration: Saturday academies for high school students (professional development, leadership, college applications)

  • Recruiting, onboarding, and training student employees

• Mentorship:

  • Values having a mentor for support and guidance

  • Goal: Supporting success for everyone, not just a select few

Key Skills

• Active listening

• Communication

• Problem-solving

• Strategic planning

• Detail-oriented

• Fluent in Spanish and English

Leadership Style

• Focus: Support, collaboration, and growth

• Inspiring/motivating students and teams to believe in themselves (achieving outcomes together)

• Five key principles:

  • Modeling the way:

    • Clear communication about expectations

    • Utilizing one-on-ones

  • Inspire the shared vision:

    • Defining goals and mutual support

    • Sharing stories to motivate and unite students

    • Giving recognition

  • Challenge the process:

    • Growing from errors and trials

    • Encouraging new ideas and expressing them confidently

  • Encourage the heart:

    • Building strong relationships

    • Supporting personal and professional development (holistic view)

  • Enable others to act:

    • Giving opportunities to lead projects and events

    • Empowering team members to succeed and collaborate

Training: Strategic Goal

• Strategic Goal: 100% career engagement

  • Every student attends at least one career event.

  • Creating experiences to increase student engagement

Importance of Peer Mentoring

• Main point of connection for students

• Influence based on the strength of relationships

• Seeing students as people, not just numbers

• Success based on trust

• Working with diverse populations (different skills, experiences)

• Translating skills (e.g., caring for family) to job applications

• Creating holistic student support (seeing them as a whole person)

• Understanding their identities and biases and meeting them where they're at

Understanding Mentee Needs

• Career development and goal setting

  • Resource fairs

• Navigating resources

  • Financial aid

• College readiness and academic support

  • Time management

  • Communication skills

• Building community and belonging

• Personal and professional growth (intertwined skills)

Cultural Competence and Cultural Capital

• Cultural Competence: Understanding different perspectives, cultures, and values; tailoring approach

• Cultural Capital: Skills, behaviors, and networks that can provide advantages

  • Social capital vs. cultural capital (using experiences to gain skills)

• Culturally aware approach to providing resources

Core Principles

• Active Listening: Understanding mentee needs

• Empathy, not Judgment: Creating a safe space to share challenges

• Clear Communication: Setting expectations and open dialogue

• Consistency: Reliability and availability

• Maintaining Confidentiality: Respecting mentees' privacy

Diversity and Inclusivity

• Culturally Responsive Communication: Adapting communication styles (text, call, in-person)

• Connecting to Relevant Resources: Financial aid, gender-based groups (CAM), warm hand-offs

• Acknowledging Identity: Creating space for identity exploration and affirmation

• Empowerment, not Advice: Guiding mentees to find their own solutions; providing tools and support

Scenario 1: Mentee Unsure of Career Path

• Mentee: Second year, declared major, unsure of career options

• Key Actions:

  • Exploration to align major with interests

  • Suggest Clubs for opportunities

  • Internship information

  • Career fairs - networking opportunities

  • Research tools like BOLT, ONet

  • Job shadowing

  • Goal setting and timeline, c2 hub

  • Document discussions and research

Scenario 2: Mentee Not Responding

• Mentee: Difficulty meeting expectations, inconsistent responses

• Key Actions:

  • Send out check-in / personalized check in

  • Maintain weekly contact through channels

  • Document attempts

  • Discuss challenges

  • Exploring activities to get interactions

Key Takeaways

• Guide and empower mentees (career and personal growth)

• Build strong relationships (foundational to effective mentoring)

• Connect mentees to relevant resources (holistic development)

• Utilize active listening, communication, and empathy

• Respond to diverse needs and backgrounds (meeting mentees where they're at)

Questions and Answers

• Conflict Resolution:

  • Never choose sides, focus on perspective

  • Repair harm and relationship

  • Initial: Encourage individuals to resolve on their own (respectful)

  • If serious: Mediate, repair harm, establish respectful working environment

• Neurodivergent students needing more guidance:

  • Tailored engagement

  • Consulting campus resources, if needed create a personalized plan

• Transparency: being open with students, sharing tips and tricks

  • Don't know what you don't know, many times this puts first gen students at a disadvantage

Rewarding Aspects of Peer Mentoring:

• Seeing people succeed (overcoming struggles)

• Building connections (being someone they can rely on)

• Earning trust (being someone they can confide in)

• Trust-They trust you with sensitive topics.

• Mentoring the whole person, not just job.

Introduction

• Carla, MSW candidate at DU

• Experience in college access and higher education (4+ years)

• Focus: High school to college and navigating higher ed

• Training: Building effective and inclusive mentoring relationships- Understanding needs, core principles, and strategies

Who is Carla?

• MSW, student affairs experience with first-gen and college access

• Focus: Empowering environments for vulnerable populations

• Experience:

  • Program coordination (e.g., Summerlink program)

  • Management of student employees

  • DPS collaboration: Saturday academies for high school students (professional development, leadership, college applications)

  • Recruiting, onboarding, and training student employees

• Mentorship:

  • Values having a mentor for support and guidance

  • Goal: Supporting success for everyone, not just a select few

Key Skills

• Active listening

• Communication

• Problem-solving

• Strategic planning

• Detail-oriented

• Fluent in Spanish and English

Leadership Style

• Focus: Support, collaboration, and growth

• Inspiring/motivating students and teams to believe in themselves (achieving outcomes together)

• Five key principles:

  • Modeling the way:

    • Clear communication about expectations

    • Utilizing one-on-ones

  • Inspire the shared vision:

    • Defining goals and mutual support

    • Sharing stories to motivate and unite students

    • Giving recognition

  • Challenge the process:

    • Growing from errors and trials

    • Encouraging new ideas and expressing them confidently

  • Encourage the heart:

    • Building strong relationships

    • Supporting personal and professional development (holistic view)

  • Enable others to act:

    • Giving opportunities to lead projects and events

    • Empowering team members to succeed and collaborate

Training: Strategic Goal

• Strategic Goal: 100% career engagement

  • Every student attends at least one career event.

  • Creating experiences to increase student engagement

Importance of Peer Mentoring

• Main point of connection for students

• Influence based on the strength of relationships

• Seeing students as people, not just numbers

• Success based on trust

• Working with diverse populations (different skills, experiences)

• Translating skills (e.g., caring for family) to job applications

• Creating holistic student support (seeing them as a whole person)

• Understanding their identities and biases and meeting them where they're at

Understanding Mentee Needs

• Career development and goal setting

  • Resource fairs

• Navigating resources

  • Financial aid

• College readiness and academic support

  • Time management

  • Communication skills

• Building community and belonging

• Personal and professional growth (intertwined skills)

Cultural Competence and Cultural Capital

• Cultural Competence: Understanding different perspectives, cultures, and values; tailoring approach

• Cultural Capital: Skills, behaviors, and networks that can provide advantages

  • Social capital vs. cultural capital (using experiences to gain skills)

• Culturally aware approach to providing resources

Core Principles

• Active Listening: Understanding mentee needs

• Empathy, not Judgment: Creating a safe space to share challenges

• Clear Communication: Setting expectations and open dialogue

• Consistency: Reliability and availability

• Maintaining Confidentiality: Respecting mentees' privacy

Diversity and Inclusivity

• Culturally Responsive Communication: Adapting communication styles (text, call, in-person)

• Connecting to Relevant Resources: Financial aid, gender-based groups (CAM), warm hand-offs

• Acknowledging Identity: Creating space for identity exploration and affirmation

• Empowerment, not Advice: Guiding mentees to find their own solutions; providing tools and support

Scenario 1: Mentee Unsure of Career Path

• Mentee: Second year, declared major, unsure of career options

• Key Actions:

  • Exploration to align major with interests

  • Suggest Clubs for opportunities

  • Internship information

  • Career fairs - networking opportunities

  • Research tools like BOLT, ONet

  • Job shadowing

  • Goal setting and timeline, c2 hub

  • Document discussions and research

Scenario 2: Mentee Not Responding

• Mentee: Difficulty meeting expectations, inconsistent responses

• Key Actions:

  • Send out check-in / personalized check in

  • Maintain weekly contact through channels

  • Document attempts

  • Discuss challenges

  • Exploring activities to get interactions

Key Takeaways

• Guide and empower mentees (career and personal growth)

• Build strong relationships (foundational to effective mentoring)

• Connect mentees to relevant resources (holistic development)

• Utilize active listening, communication, and empathy

• Respond to diverse needs and backgrounds (meeting mentees where they're at)

Questions and Answers

• Conflict Resolution:

  • Never choose sides, focus on perspective

  • Repair harm and relationship

  • Initial: Encourage individuals to resolve on their own (respectful)

  • If serious: Mediate, repair harm, establish respectful working environment