OISE Introduces New Mentorship Program
August 13, 2015
Dr. Brenda Marshall, mentor and OISE alumna, with Michael Campbell-Thompson, mentee and OISE M.Ed candidate.
Beginning in the fall of 2015, 90 OISE students will be part of a formalized, well-structured mentorship program designed to give them valuable support while completing their studies.
The program was introduced on August 6, 2015 at an official launch at OISE’s Nexus Lounge where Ashley Yoannou, Chair of the Mentorship Program and recent Master's graduate, was on hand to explain how the program works.
"The new mentorship program matches alumni from different professions, provinces and countries with current OISE students. The knowledge, training and transferable skills developed by OISE alumni have carried them to all corners of the globe and to a myriad of professions. We want to capitalize on this, and allow alumni to have a direct hands-on impact," Yoannou said.
“OISE students are matched with OISE alumni working in a variety of fields, from government and health care, to classrooms and boardrooms,” she added. “By bringing parties together, the program helps students appreciate what is expected in different professions and helps alumni expand their networks and know they are helping and encouraging OISE students.”
The program is a great opportunity for OISE alumni from around the world to continue to connect and engage with OISE and the University of Toronto. The mentors in this year’s program are from countries all over the world including England, United States, Singapore, Australia, Korea, Hong Kong, China, among others, and are employed in professions such as teachers, principals, professors, physicians, immunologists, psychotherapists, and entrepreneurs, to name a few.
Yoannou continued: We asked current students how we could support their preparation for a career beyond OISE, and the suggestions were often narrowed down to a singular desire -- namely wanting a mentor to help shed light on what options exist for individuals with their degree and interests.
While helping students and alumni connect, the MP encourages mentors and mentees to navigate their relationships with relative autonomy. As Yoannou stated: "Our goal with the MP is not to hover over the teams, but to let them meet, discuss topics and otherwise converse at their own pace and with their own objectives in mind. Our Committee is here to support the year-long experience and to assist when necessary."
A mentor will be expected to meet with a student or students a minimum of four times a year either in person or via Skype, telephone and/or through email. Mentors are not obligated to meet mentee(s) in person; rather, use of technology is encouraged and in some cases essential, especially for alumni who are internationally based.
Students interested in participating in the Mentorship Program can email Sim Kapoor at oise.mentorship@utoronto.ca.
