Do you have a moment?
The power of a Mentor and Mentee relationship is immeasurable. It interweaves between the two parties, providing consistency, stability, connection and guidance between an adult and a child. It is a desired and deeply needed necessity to have a stable and holding adult in your life as you grow. Take a moment to think about the people in your life when you grew up. Was there a teacher? A friend of the family? Someone that you felt inspired by? Research has shown that children who have a mentor outside of the family unit learn to develop and sustain connections and strong groundwork for their future choices. This includes self development, relationships, school, their community and life in general.
‘A five year study sponsored by 'Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada' found that children with mentors were more confident and had fewer behavioural problems. Girls in the study were four times less likely to become bullies than those without a mentor and boys were two times less likely. In general, young people showed increased belief in their abilities to succeed in school and felt less anxiety related to peer pressure.’
'The key to any relationship
is not the quantity
or amount of time spent
with the other person,
but the quality that you provide.'
KF
An adult that is steady, reliable, dependable, open, trustworthy, confident and caring holds qualities within themselves that can be shared in a very short space of time. In other words, it takes just a moment to have a true connection with another person when you are steady and present.
The 3 Minute Mentor project is based on an ongoing relationship with a staff member and a student that is warm and connected, offering a brief, but quality moment, to check in and share their current state of being.
Research shows that most people decide whether or not
they like you within the first seven seconds of meeting you. Would you agree?
This can be based on past relationships, lack of connection, being unwilling to be transparent,
hurts or even a sense of you as a person that is accurate and well read?
The 3 Minute Mentor Program has been developed to include 12 stages of researched themes including engagement, connection, confirmation, relationships, self reflection, listening skills and more. It has also included personal support for Mentors, a weekly reflection, online surveys, feedback and a written reports. Adult participants can include leadership, teachers and education support workers.
The key factors for the Mentors have included:
Choosing 3 different students that you feel you align with, or feel you could support.
Being willing to be truly connected and present within yourself and therefore the student.
Being genuine and real.
Staying open and listening.
Being consistently available for 3 minutes for each student , at least once a week.
The key factors for the Mentees have included:
Genuine connection
Feeling safe and met with their Mentor, feeling that they are equal regardless of age.
Learning to trust
Learning to be present and stay connected.
The Purpose of this program is true connection. To offer space. To bring people together in a consistent and supportive way, allowing each party to deepen their relationship with themselves and therefore, each other.
This formula used, provides consistency, stability, connection and guidance.
It is a desired and deeply needed necessity to have a stable and
holding adult in your life as you grow.
These children begin to feel truly supported and seen.
They are allowed to be themselves and not behave in a role.
This may be the first time these children are seen as equals.
The 12 Stage 3MM demonstrates that children who have a mentor outside of the family unit, learn to develop and sustain life long relationships and strong groundwork for their future choices in self development, relationships, school, their community and life in general. The children that have participated in this program have deepened their own communication and expression, felt heard and held, started to find their own voice and felt a lot of joy in the beauty of connecting with others.
The key factors have been:
The core principles of the program: Connect, Engage and Confirm
Choosing between 1 and 3 students to Mentor
Participants being available for 3 minutes a week with each child
Being willing to develop, understand and expand relationships
Participants can be varied from leadership, teachers to educational support workers.
A buddy system is developed for staff to support each other.
"The more I am connecting with my Mentee,
the better my other relationships are getting.
It all seems to work together! "
~ 3MM Participant Kalianna School, Bendigo
The Students who have completed the program have been building on:
Connection to self
Connection to others.
Trust
Self esteem/ self worth
Communication and interpersonal skills.
This program is simple and powerful. It is suitable for all students and staff including special needs children and teens. It can be introduced to any schools, supporting a mentoring program that is simple, successful and powerful. It can be delivered in person or online.
Contact Kathryn Fortuna for more details kathryn@kathrynfortuna.com kathrynfortuna.com 0400196519