Mentoring Process
Why Mentor?
Mentoring transcends conventional instruction. Instead of just dispensing information, mentors share their lived experiences, their mistakes, their triumphs, and the wisdom they’ve garnered along the way. The mentee, in return, brings fresh perspectives, new challenges, and a fervor to learn and grow. This intentional approach ensures that both parties derive maximum value from the relationship.
Expectations
At SIMA, our mentors are the heart of everything we do. We believe in leading by example, and we ask every mentor to embody a set of core values that help create safe, supportive, and empowering spaces for our youth. These expectations guide how we show up, build trust, and make a lasting impact in the lives of the young people we serve.
Our mentors are asked to be generous, candid, honest, passionate, authentic, energetic, committed and bold. This learning partnership is an honor!
Dignity
Honesty
Ethical
Integrity
Sensitivity
Time Commitment
Top consideration is the time that can be given by mentor to allow success to be achieved unique to each student/family. Generally, we ask members for minimum four hours monthly to remain engaged with student, family, school, SIMA or community activities supporting our community members.
Communication
Our mentors must be prepared to effectively communicate information to both mentees, parents, teachers, and organization to prevent potential misunderstandings and ensures continuity.
Confidentiality
Trust is vital! The information shared between mentors and all parties should remain confidential unless advocacy is the purpose for which said information serves in the best interest of specific parties relating to said information.
Steps to Become A Mentor
Becoming a mentor is easy and rewarding! Simply fill out our interest form, complete a background check and training, and we’ll match you with a mentee to start making a difference in their life.
Fill out our online mentor application form to let us know you’re ready to start our onboarding process!
We’ll ensure a safe environment for our youth by conducting a thorough background check.
This is your chance to share more about who you are and why you want to mentor. We’ll chat with you one-on-one to learn about your interests, experience, and how you can best support a young person’s growth.
Participate in our mentor training program to learn effective strategies for building strong, supportive relationships.
Based on your skills and interests, we’ll pair you with a mentee to start your journey of making a meaningful impact!
In this final step, you’ll spend 90 days shadowing experienced mentors in local schools to see our mission in action. It’s a hands-on opportunity to learn, build confidence, and get fully immersed in the SIMA approach before you’re matched with a mentee.
