September is Back to School Month!
This year has reinforced what we’ve always known: it takes a village. The layered crises we’re experiencing remind us that we must show up for young people now more than ever. No matter how or where students are learning this fall, we must ensure young people are seen, heard, and supported.
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Mentoring at the Movies: Don't Miss Carpool Cinema on October 2nd! |
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Join us Friday, October 2nd, for an evening of outdoor movie fun in RVA!
MENTOR Virginia is hosting Carpool Cinema at City Stadium,
featuring the hit family movie, How to Train Your Dragon.
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From the comfort of your own vehicle, you and your family will enjoy watching this
action-packed movie on a 40-ft jumbo screen. Come hungry! The Boka Tako Truck and Cool Concessions will be on site to provide food, beverages, and ice cream treats for purchase.
Limited spots are available. Get your ticket today!
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Microsoft Grant for Black- & African American-Led Nonprofits |
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Microsoft recently opened preliminary applications for the community skills program, part of its larger commitment to address racial injustice. The program will award up to 50 unrestricted, cash grants of up to $100,000 per year for three years to Black- and African American-led nonprofits that provide digital skills and workforce development to the Black and African American community. The program also includes support for leadership development and technology capacity building.
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Last Chance to Register for E-Mentoring Working Groups |
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Join Your Peers from Around Virginia in
E-Mentoring Working Groups!
To meet the need for dedicated spaces in which programs can accelerate peer-sharing and learning around e-mentoring this fall, MENTOR Virginia is organizing 5 no-cost working group opportunities for mentoring programs.
Spots are limited, first come first serve. Programs can register for more than one working group.
Registration for each group will close at 4 pm on the day before the first scheduled meeting.
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Working Group 1:
Group E-Mentoring
First meeting is Monday, September 14th
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Deadline to Register: 9/11/20 by 4 pm
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Working Group 2:
School-Based E-Mentoring
First meeting is Tuesday, September 15th
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Deadline to Register: 9/14/20 by 4 pm
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Working Group 3:
Community-Based / Hybrid E-Mentoring
First meeting is Thursday, September 17th
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Deadline to Register: 9/16/20 by 4 pm
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Working Group 4:
Literacy/Academic E-Mentoring
First meeting is Friday, September 18th
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Deadline to Register: 9/17/20 by 4 pm
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Working Group 5:
STEM E-Mentoring
First meeting is Friday, September 18th
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Deadline to Register: 9/17/20 by 4 pm
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Virtual New Mentor Trainings
Onboarding new volunteers this fall? MENTOR Virginia is hosting two upcoming virtual New Mentor Trainings that will prepare mentors for both in-person and virtual mentoring environments.
Register for an upcoming training date below:
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Webinar: Designing Group Mentoring Curriculum
Thursday, September 17th | 1:00 pm to 2:15 pm EST
This webinar addresses factors to consider as you design curriculum for your group mentoring program. Participants will learn:
- How to select group sizes and mentor-to-mentee ratios aligned with program goals
- Strategies for putting the “mentoring” into group mentoring
- Tips for facilitating group sharing in a way that allows mentees to express their true selves
- Techniques for creating a structured group mentoring curriculum by developing sessions through a “flow of activities template"
Also walk away with lessons learned from one program’s successful pivot to virtual group mentoring and no-cost online curricula resources for group mentoring programs.
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Welcoming Our New VISTA Member |
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Meet Our New Youth Impact Coordinator
Please join us in welcoming Antonio Mielak, who will be serving as a VISTA Member with MENTOR Virginia for the 2020-2021 service year. Antonio will be working with us in a full-time capacity to develop and launch a Youth Advisory Council that will leverage youth voice, advocacy, and decision making in the mentoring field. Learn more about Antonio below!
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Antonio Mielak has spent most of his time living and working in Virginia, since moving with his family from California as a boy. He has volunteered extensively throughout the country with different children's anti-poverty and advocacy programs. He has worked in several aviation management roles as an enlisted air traffic controller for the navy, a teaching assistant at Hampton, and as a lead-agent and supervisor for airline ground operations at the Richmond International Airport. He began a Service Year with AmeriCorps in 2019 as a literacy tutor in Richmond and now is serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with MENTOR Virginia. He enjoys playing tennis, reading, writing, and supporting advocacy work. He is an active member of the National PTA, the NAACP, and the Virginia Press Association. Antonio attended Hampton University, where he studied English Arts and Aviation Management. |
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