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MentorOn Mentor Guidelines

Last Modified: June 7, 2020

 

 

Hello,

 

We appreciate your willingness to serve as a mentor for MentorOn! We are thankful for all your passion for helping the community in these hard times, especially helping those that need it the most. Email mentoronbc@gmail.com if you have any questions!

 

This document provides MentorOn’s rules and guidelines for interacting with your mentees. We hope that these procedures and expectations work to foster greater uniformity in mentor-mentee interactions and to ensure all mentoring services are conducted safely, securely, and effectively.

Here are the procedures and expectations for mentors:

 

Logistical Expectations

  • MentorOn Sessions must include at least 2 mentors. You may not meet 1-on-1 with the student, unless you first check-in with a parent or guardian at the start of a session. In any case, the parent or guardian must always be present in the same room, if not in the meeting itself. (For example, the student could be in the living room, where a guardian is nearby in the room.)

  • You must copy a parent or guardian on all email communications with a student.

    • Sometimes parents will not have an email. In this case, in your first correspondence to the student, make sure that you can check in briefly with the guardian at the first meeting to make sure this form of communication is okay.

    • We ask that you email the students’ school email address when you can. This may not be possible, as it is common that these district emails may have a firewall. In this case, you can use the student’s personal email, but make sure that a parent or guardian is aware and consents to this.

  • Meet at least 45 minutes with your mentee every week (or less if they prefer).

  • Structure mentoring sessions in a way that facilitates learning and communication between you and your mentees.

  • Always use Zoom, not any other platform unless you have confirmed it with MentorOn’s leadership.

  • If the student/family has a complaint, please direct them toward mentoronbc@gmail.com. Similarly, if for any reason you are uncomfortable with your match, please feel free to e-mail us at mentoronbc@gmail.com.

Guidelines for Holding Virtual Meetings


  • After each meeting, you are expected to complete a “MentorOn Session Form.” This is our main form of documentation for your meetings (and a way to reflect on how students are doing!)

  • Do not record mentoring sessions. Set zoom setting such that no one else in the session can record it. 

  • Request that a guardian be present for the session, and check-in with the parent or guardian at the start of the session.

    • If the guardian cannot be present for a particular session, offer to help answer questions over email or chat instead, and try to find times when you can meet with the guardian present.

 

  • Let us know if you are unable to meet these requirements and we can work with you to try to find alternative arrangements

 

Confidentiality

  • Except as provided here, you must not disclose any personally-identifiable information about a student to others. This helps protect the privacy of both you and your mentee. This extends to the disclosure of information through social media posts (both private and public), email, text message, or otherwise.

  • This does not apply to any information you disclose:

    • to the parent or guardian,

    • to MentorOn,

    • as part of the suspected abuse or neglect procedures described below, or

    • as otherwise required by law.

 

Conduct Expectations

What a MentorOn mentor SHOULD do:

  • Be a source of general encouragement

  • Tutor students in a way that will maximize learning, not grades

  • Provide insight beyond the classroom, whether it’s research, college classes, career goals, or other projects

  • Encourage students academically during rough times and check in with the student to see how they are doing non-academically

  • Be a good role-model and representative for their schools and the values their schools uphold

  • ​

What a MentorOn mentor SHOULDN’T do:

  • Do a student’s homework for them

  • Be a source of info about all the crazy stuff that goes on in high school or college

  • Be a therapist. We know it may be tempting to help them with a mental health problem or problematic personal situation, but try to keep it on topic (general support, overall encouragement, supportive check-ins, games, and academic support) and if you have any concern about a mentee’s safety, immediately consult with your supervisor. 

  • Attempt to connect with a student socially. Do not communicate with students outside of the mentor sessions and arranging mentor sessions, including via text or on any social media platform, including but not limited to FaceBook, Instagram, or Snapchat.

Reporting Suspicious Behavior or Activity Related to Child Abuse or Neglect

If you have reason to believe that your mentee may be subject to abuse or neglect, promptly consult with your supervisor so they can help you assess the situation to determine is a notification to child welfare is required, and they either do the notification, or actively help you to  do it.  

 

Recommended Third-Party Guidance Materials

Sample Introductory Email

(feel free to use this as a template, or make your own!):

SUBJECT: MentorOn Mentor Introduction for [Mentee Name]

 

Dear [Mentee Name] and family,

My name is [your name], a [title/year, if comfortable] studying [field of study or occupation], and I am looking forward to working with you as a mentor through MentorOn!

A bit about me: I am from [hometown/state], and … [introduce yourself - could be favorite hobbies, activities involved with in school, about your siblings/pets, etc.]

I’d love to schedule an initial 30-minute Zoom meeting between me, [Mentee Name], and a parent/guardian to go over any suggestions and expectations. This meeting would give us the opportunity to get to know each other, and it would be very helpful for me to know what [Mentee Name] is looking for in terms of specific content, frequency, and duration of mentoring sessions. If it’s easier for you, we can continue this discussion over phone or video call. You can also read MentorOn’s terms of service, privacy policy, and mentor guidelines for more information about this service.

Here is my availability for the upcoming week: [offer blocks of time that you are free, as well as your time zone].

I hope your family is staying safe and healthy - look forward to meeting you all soon!

Best,

[Your Name]

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