Type of Activity:
x Mentoring
❑ Peer Mentoring
❑ Workshop
Relevant pillar: Communication and cultural awareness
Relevant competence(s): Transversal Elements, Sense of Initiative & Entrepreneurship, Social & Civic and Communication
Duration: minimum 4 hours ((it is recommended to implement this activity at least, at two different moments in time)
Materials and Resources: laptop with internet access, printer, A4 paper, notebook, markers, pens.
One-to-one activity mentoring.
As the previous ones, this activity is organized in two components: (i) Building trust (focused on be trustful and honest, establish flexible culturally adequate boundaries and spending time together) and (ii) to help the mentee identify opportunities, interests, willingness to pursue a personal constructive path regarding Communication, relationships and cultural awareness.
Recommendations – If any of previous sessions were implemented, this topic is not of mandatory reading. Please go to the Objectives section.
Please take in consideration that this is a mentoring session – not a training or educational activity, or even a workshop! The Leaving Care Professional (LCP) is not a teacher/trainer/facilitator, he/she is a caring, more experienced individual(s) that will establish a relationship with a less experienced person resulting in the provision of support, friendship and constructive role modelling consistently over a period of time. The role of the LCP is to provide the young person with support, guidance, and assistance. The Leaving Care Professional, through the mentoring process should be able to listen and ask questions that will challenge the mentee to identify the course of action they need to take in regard to their own development.
Flexibility is an asset! – This mentoring session can combine different activities, starting from getting-to-know each other and reflecting on the self, then building the relationship, until the stage of discussing specific topics.
- To pursue the development of a constructing relationship and building trust (focused on be trustful and honest, establish flexible culturally adequate boundaries and spending time together),
- To identify opportunities, interests, willingness to pursue a personal constructive path regarding mentee’s communication abilities, building and developing healthy relationships and being cultural aware of his and others’ background.
Outcomes
- To develop culturally appropriate and positive communication style, with clear but flexible boundaries, and supported by trustful and honest communication.
- Enhancement of mentee’s sense of trust, security and constructiveness in the relationship with the LCP.
- Increase of the mentees’ ability to organize her/his sense of self and to positively express feelings about her/his self, life events, and significant people, specifically focused on the challenges that communication, and cultural awareness dimensions can pose during the ageing out process.
- Develop the mentee’s awareness of her/his choices in creating adequate strategies regarding communication, relationships and cultural awareness.
Global considerations (cf. Session 1) – If any of previous sessions were implemented, this topic is not of mandatory reading. Please go to Challenges section.
The mentoring process can be useful for a large diversity of situations and in different stages of the life trajectory. Because it is a flexible, people centred, and constructive process, where “an experienced and trusted advisor” (in this case an adult) share his/her experience and knowledge in a facilitative manner to support the development of the mentee it is particularly relevant for children integrate in state care system. It can be a very interesting opportunity for the mentee to know a positive and constructive influence in his/her life, and to develop a relationship based on trust, sharing, respect and caring.
To do that, the LCP will have a challenging role, in which he/she will be asked to:
- Actively listening
- Provide different perspectives (not only those of the LCP’s)
- Encourage self-analysis and self-reflexion
- Give constructive critics and accept that are other ways of seeing, feeling and being in this world
- Provide evidence-based feedback
- Ask questions to help understanding better situations or problems
- Both – LCP and mentee need to have open minded, positive approaches. Therefore, the LCP should avoid leading questions and always have in mind that decisions are made by the mentee
- Provide information and knowledge, inform and share (in)formal networks
- Provide advice on educational and/or career development, and/or other topics considered relevant by the mentee
- Focus on relationship in positive and constructive approaches – provide support and encouragement
Regarding key mentor skills, the following are commonly expressed in the literature
- Self-Awareness –implies a good understanding of his/her own strengths and development needs
- Credibility – on personal and professional level
- Accessibility –willingness and commitment in terms of time and availability for support and guidance
- Communication – great communication skills and be able to understand the ideas and feelings of others is a must!
- Ability to empower – the LCP should be able to create a learning/sharing environment where it is safe for mentees to disclose or try out different things,
- Creativity and Inventiveness – be open to new ways of doing things and different ways of learning/working
- Empathy – Ability to empathise with the mentees
- Understanding – ability to understand different perspectives, approaches and possibly backgrounds of different mentees.
-Self-confidence and self-concept might be low, which have a potential negative impact on communication, relationships and cultural awareness dimensions. To discuss one’s difficulties and fragilities during an especially stressful period (ageing out of state care) may produce the intensification of negative emotions, fears and concerns.
-Some concepts may be too abstract/difficult and seam irrelevant for the mentee (e.g., cultural awareness).
-To maintain and continuously reinforce a positive, constructive and trustful relationship with the mentee (taking in consideration that children need time, opportunities to connect and develop activities together, and moments of confidence and sharing which require flexibility and support from the LCP).
– The Leaving Care Professional will be prepared or ask for support to adequately address emotional distress and self-confidence/self-concept doubts/difficulties, especially in relation to communication, relationships and cultural awareness.
– The LCP will use common language (if technical concepts are needed, they will be explained through practical examples, analogies and/or personal experiences) to ensure the mentee properly understands what is being said. Please focus on the aspects/dimensions of Communication and cultural awareness that are perceived as relevant and as a priority for the mentee.
-The LCP will focus on establishing a positive, constructing and trustful relationship with the mentee. To do so, he/she will have an open minded, flexible approach, and will ensure the mentoring process occurs accordingly to the mentee’s needs, interests, capacities and expectations. Let the child dictate the timings of disclosure and the evolution path of the mentoring process. This might implicate adjustments in the objectives, contents, methodologies and/or activities of each session- in order to enhance efficiency and efficacy of the mentorship. This does not mean, however, that this guideline is to be discarded – it will always guide the mentoring path, even though each path will, evidently, be unique.
Each mentoring path is singular, and this is part of its richness. Therefore, no structured mandatory activities will be suggested for the 9 sessions of mentoring. Instead we propose to give suggestions for LCP and mentee to consider and to implement, with the flexibility and adaptation that are needed.
For this meeting, the suggestion is for the LCP to focus on discussing:
Part A
- Review of the previous session’s experiences – major positive elements, what needs change/improvement, emotional state of mind during and after the sessions,
- Help develop a doable action plan and support its implementation (regarding the topics addressed so far): give support on identification of objectives, signalization of initiatives/actions, definition of major steps to accomplish objectives, definition of monitoring strategies.
- Provide constructive feedback
- Identify strengths and achievements and explore options
- Coach on specific areas of difficulty/needs if need
- Create opportunities for mentees to gain experience
Part B
- Communication, relationships and cultural awareness
a. My predominant communication style– characteristics, positive components, dimensions/aspects that need improvement
i. During childhood
ii. During adolescence
iii. Nowadays
b. Cultural awareness – I am, really, culturally aware?
i. Meaning of “cultural awareness”
ii. Situations, events and/or circumstances I feel proud of
iii. Situations, events and/or circumstances that “were not my best moments”
A. Building trust
a. Going deep in “Getting to Know Each Other”
i. Ensure empathy and positive interaction
ii. Be predictable and consistent
iii. Ensure confidentiality
iv. Anticipate mistrust and suspicion
v. Recognize frustration
vi. Be open minded!
b. Develop a constructive relationship
i. Give time to know each other
1. Establish Boundaries
a. Physical
b. Emotional and psychological
c. Social
d. Other (e.g., spiritual)
2. Be flexible!
3. Be curious and interested – but not intrusive!
ii. Be trustful and honest
1. Be assertive
2. Ensure transparency ion your perspective and actions
iii. Spend time together – have fun!
1. Plan activities together
2. Do activities together
3. Monitor and assess activities together
Each mentoring path is singular, and this is part of its richness. Therefore, no structured mandatory activities will be suggested for the 9 sessions of mentoring. Instead we propose to give suggestions for LCP and mentee to consider and to implement, with the flexibility and adaptation that are needed.
For this meeting, the suggestion is for the LCP to focus on discussing:
Part A
· Review of the previous session’s experiences – major positive elements, what needs change/improvement, emotional state of mind during and after the sessions
· Help develop a doable action plan and support its implementation (regarding the topics addressed so far): give support on identification of objectives, signalization of initiatives/actions, definition of major steps to accomplish objectives, definition of monitoring strategies
· Provide constructive feedback
· Identify strengths and achievements and explore options
· Coach on specific areas of difficulty/needs if need
· Create opportunities for mentees to gain experience
Part B
· Communication, relationships and cultural awareness
a. My predominant communication style[1] – characteristics, positive components, dimensions/aspects that need improvement
i. During childhood
ii. During adolescence
iii. Nowadays
b. Cultural awareness – I am, really, culturally aware?
i. Meaning of “cultural awareness”
ii. Situations, events and/or circumstances I feel proud of
iii. Situations, events and/or circumstances that “were not my best moments”
Tips for this session:
A. Building trust
a. Going deep in “Getting to Know Each Other”
i. Ensure empathy and positive interaction
ii. Be predictable and consistent
iii. Ensure confidentiality
iv. Anticipate mistrust and suspicion
v. Recognize frustration
vi. Be open minded!
b. Develop a constructive relationship
i. Give time to know each other
1. Establish Boundaries
a. Physical
b. Emotional and psychological
c. Social
d. Other (e.g., spiritual)
2. Be flexible!
3. Be curious and interested – but not intrusive!
ii. Be trustful and honest
1. Be assertive
2. Ensure transparency ion your perspective and actions
iii. Spend time together – have fun!
1. Plan activities together
2. Do activities together
3. Monitor and assess activities together
B. Communication and cultural awareness
1. “My communication style”
Justification: It is essential that mentee knows his/her communication predominant style and understands the impact of it on others, to be able to define and implement measures to improve assertiveness and positive communication strategies. To do so, we suggest the LCP and mentee chooses 3 situations described by the mentee in previous sessions (it can be moments of particular sadness, moments of frustrations, situations that made the mentee feel hopeless or really mad, or moments when the mentee had an achievement etc.) and, for each one, the verbal and non-verbal communication patterns will be analysed.
Be aware that this analysis must be focused on constructive and positive components and not to judge and/or comment on the negative/less efficient things done – this is valid for both (LCP and mentee)! The idea is to identify main needs/elements to improve and to define a strategy to help the mentee act on his/her difficulties/needs. It is also important to highlight and value all strengths and positive communication strategies/patterns – positive feedback is always welcome!
2. “Cultural awareness” – Let’s challenge my beliefs about other cultures and lifestyles
Justification: To actively reflect on the diversity of human cultures, beliefs and behaviours is one of the possible ways to enhance one’s cultural awareness. For this activity we propose a game, where LCP and mentee will ask and answer questions – and together they will search for answers. No judgments/discrimination are allowed!
As initial questions (other can be added by LCP and mentee depending on the cultural setting of each mentoring journey):
- Name an important human rights activist
- Describe a typical food plate from a country in Asia (first, choose the country)
- Name a famous Bollywood actress/actor
- Describe a typical dance from your country
- Name three similitudes between Catholic and Muslim religions
- What are the Indian “casts”?
- Why in some cultures you should not shake hand with left hand?
- In what countries you need to take off your shoes when you get in someone else’s house?