(*Note: You may download an offline version of the Orientation for Mentor course here – 33MB file from downloaded from Googl Drive)

The Alberta Mentoring Partnership Online Training Module for mentors is a free resource that provides students with an overview of some of the core concepts of mentoring and what it means to be a mentor. Students complete five short modules before taking a quiz to demonstrate their learning:

• Course Introduction and Learning Objectives
• History of Mentoring
• How to be a Mentor
• The Mentoring Relationship – Dynamics and Guidelines
• Mentoring Programs

Step 4: Tool A – AMP Online Mentor Training – Getting Started document can be shared with students to guide them through the process of using the Alberta Mentoring Partnership’s online mentor training. Students are provided with a certificate upon completion. Students should complete the online training module prior to attending the In Person Training as an introduction to mentoring.

Program staff can e-mail mentor.support@albertamentors.ca to set up an admin account to keep track of the students’ participation and grades.

In person training is also an important part of screening and preparing potential teen mentors. It allows staff to observe how students communicate and interact, their understanding of content, and whether they have the qualities that make them suitable for a teen mentoring program.A Teen Mentor Training PowerPoint is available, and can be adapted to suit your program. The PowerPoint provides information on a variety of topics relevant to Teen Mentoring and provides opportunities for student interaction through discussions and activities to keep students engaged.The goals of the in person training are to help mentors:

• Develop the skills and characteristics required to build caring mentoring relationships
• Understand the challenges and barriers their mentees face and how to be sensitive to those issues and their impact on the mentees’ lives
• Gain confidence in their role as a mentor and feel inspired to commit their time to the program

You can also access the Mentor Training Event Toolkit for further support in planning, organizing and facilitating the training as a larger scale event.

Teens benefit from consistent reinforcement, encouragement and praise as they practice the skills they have learned. As they gain practical experience, they will benefit from ongoing training opportunities where they will be better able to relate the information to the work they are doing⁴. Ongoing training may increase the likelihood of longer-lasting relationships and has been found to predict more positive youth outcomes¹⁹. Ongoing training can take the form of workshops, presentations from community agencies, a mid-year training session, and informal discussions throughout the process. Depending on the goals of the teen mentoring program, teen mentors may also receive specialized training to assist them in understanding specific youth development issues and topics (such as positive youth development, resiliency, bullying, mental health or drugs and alcohol use). The Additional Resources section of this toolkit provides a list of additional books, articles, guides and toolkits that may be used for ongoing training opportunities.

The Alberta Mentoring Partnership Online Training Module for mentees is a free resource that provides students with an overview of some of the core concepts of being a mentee. Concepts covered include:

• What is a mentor? What is a mentee?
• Getting to know your mentor
• Let’s be safe and have good boundaries
• My strengths
• All about me

Step 4: Tool B – AMP Mentee Training Handbook provides more information on how to set up and use the online training module. This resource is appropriate for mentees ages 12 and under.

Mentees will benefit from opportunities to get to know each other and begin developing a sense of community with other participants⁹. It is also important that they form relationships with program staff so that the match is seen within a positive, supported context⁹.

Topics that may be included in mentee training include:

Program expectations, rules, guidelines and commitment
Mentee roles and responsibilities
Mentor roles and responsibilities – what a mentor is and what a mentor is not
Benefits of being a mentee
Basic communication skills
Basic problem-solving and conflict resolution skills
How to best utilize their mentors for support
Program support and who to talk to if something feels wrong or uncomfortable
Confidentiality and its limitations
Child safety