AMP Website Upgrade

The Alberta Mentoring Partnership (AMP) Website has recently been upgraded and now sports a new look! We’ve also included a few new features:

•  A Research Portal, where you can search through mentoring research and even submit articles. Check back regularly, as we’ll continue adding additional articles and literature.

• New Partner Profile Pages.

• A fully dynamic and ready-made Volunteer Application Form, available to AMP Partners.

• The ability for AMP Partners to utilize their Partner Profile page as a website for their program or organization. This will be especially useful for partner organizations that do not currently have a website of their own. Visit the Partner Demo Website or read through the How To document for more information.

If you have any questions about the website or about becoming an AMP partner, contact us at mentor.resource@albertamentors.ca.

National Mentoring Symposium 2013 Highlight: Jacob’s Story

We are pleased to share Jacob’s Story with you. This vignette was first shared with the National Mentoring Symposium Delegates in November, and demonstrates the impact that a mentor can have on someone’s life.

If you or your organization would like to share this vignette, you are welcome to do so.

Shaping the Future Conference

January 23-25, 2014
Delta Lodge At Kananaskis
The annual Shaping the Future conference brings together leaders from the health, education, active living and recreation sectors who share a vested interest supporting healthy school communities. The 2014 Conference theme is “Inspiring children and youth to be healthy learners.” Shaping the Future provides a platform for leaders to come together annually and discuss various aspects of comprehensive school health.
Pre-Conference
Shaping the Future 2014 will host two pre-conference sessions January 23, 2014, to kick-start the conference: After School Time Period Pre-conference and the Wellness Fund’s Creating Environments for Success Pre-conference.
For more information about the Shaping the Future Conference and Pre-conference, visit: http://everactive.org/shaping-the-future
To apply for a bursary to attend the conference, visit: http://www.everactive.org/pre-conference-2014

Survey: The Use of Social Media and Technology in Youth Mentoring

We are excited to inform you about a mentoring study being conducted by Dr. Jean Rhodes and Dr. Sarah Schwartz (Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring), Sarah Kremer (Friends for Youth), Dr. Renée Spencer (Boston University), Dr. Belle Liang (Boston College), and Dr. Bernadette Sanchez (DePaul University).
The purpose of the study is to explore the use of social media and technology in youth mentoring programs, including both the risks and benefits involved. You will also have the opportunity to share any dilemmas you have faced related to digital media use in mentoring relationships. By increasing our understanding of how digital media is being used in mentoring and how its use influences mentoring relationships, this study will provide valuable research for mentoring programs that can inform program policies and guidelines around the use of digital media.
The study involves a brief (20-30 minute) web-based survey for program staff and for mentors. Both groups have the option of being entered into a raffle for an iPad for all entries submitted by January 10, 2014.
If you are a program staff, click here for the program staff survey.
If you are a mentor, click here for the mentor survey.

MENTOR/UMB Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring: Short Course on Youth Mentoring in the Digital Age