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.
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.
