Posted by: aruffino
on Feb 26, 2010
I’m part of a new family – 35 mentors for my program -- and our group completed the first night of training. Tonight, we went through the cornerstones of the New Pathways program: commitment, responsibility, possibility and support, to help the youth and mentors grow throughout the nine months. To better explain the cornerstones, they asked each mentor to think of something they liked to buy, then think of the characteristics (such as a certain style, color, etc.) leading you to purchase the item.
So my shopping poison is shoes, and particularly, I like black suede heels. After that, the mentor coaches asked us to think of something completely opposite of what we would normally buy. For me… –orange pleather heels with bows. YUCK! They asked how I would react if my friend asked me to try it on. I say No way! it’s not my style, Then they dropped the real question, “How could you know what it would look or feel like if you never tried it on?”
The course leaders explained about being open to the possibility of “trying on” new experiences. Perhaps it would be eating sushi, or running a marathon, applying for graduate school. They explained the youth we would meet in a few weeks, would be closed off to the many possibilities of life: getting a summer job, taking an advanced class, stop using drugs and alcohol, and we would be their coaches to support them in the "try on" process.
My question to you readers is: What new experience are you “trying on” today?
Posted by: aruffino
on Jan 19, 2010
Today, I finally interviewed with a Phoenix Youth At Risk program manager to be a New Pathways mentor in the March 2010 program. The interview took a little under an hour, and I felt very comfortable answering general background questions about how I found the program, what I do for a living, and what are my hobbies, etc. I spoke about my experience working with kids – babysitting when I was younger, playing with my second cousins – but mostly about wanting to build on the experience and learn to work with teenagers.
The program manager informed me of the youth application process, where program managers went to local schools giving presentations, and then interviewed youth who expressed interest and wanted to change their lives. (Some of the potential mentees, she said, were drug users, sexually active, gang members, and came to the program wanting better relationships with their parents, to get better grades to get into college, or start exploring paths to careers.)
She outlined the expectations of the New Pathways Program mentor: that I would not be a therapist (there was one who came once a month for youth support), I would not be the social worker (for any issues I saw or my youth expressed, I would call the program manager), and I would not be the parent (that was a relief!).
I asked her about how I would be supported as a volunteer, and she said there were many trained staff and other volunteers to help me. First, in the month long mentor training, I would be placed in a small group with a mentor coach, and once I was officially paired with my youth, there would be voluntary once-a-week check in calls. She also said that several other program managers had previous experience working with youth, so they would be a source of guidance, along with the two group leaders.
We finally went over the nine month calendar, reviewed dates for the Intensive Retreat, and informed me of the monthly meetings, community service. After the interview, she took my fingerprints, and copied my driver’s license and car insurance to ensure my safety on the road as I would be transporting my future mentee to and from meetings.
Mentor training begins on February 3, so I should be hearing in a few weeks that my background check was cleared! Watch out March program, here I come.
Posted by: aruffino
on Jan 13, 2010
I'm excited to interview on Thursday to become a New Pathways Program mentor in the March 2010 program. I originally heard about the volunteering opportunity through my roommate, looked over her materials, and called the office!
As a youth, I didn't have a mentor, which looking back, would have helped motivate me to concentrate on my assignment and look at "the big picture," instead of being bogged down by high school. I'm interested in learning the language of the program's curriculum to help be an effective mentor as I work alongside my match as their adviser for the next nine months.
Well, looking forward to being accepted and posting again as an official mentor in the upcoming March program!
