On December 7th, The Alberta Mentorship Program (AMP) met for an online Holiday Celebration. The goal of this meeting was to gather and celebrate mentorship program-related achievements from 2022.
Although many of our online sessions focus on areas of improvement, mentorship tips and tricks, and future goals, we decided to end the year by sharing and celebrating the successes of Alberta mentorship.
The Right Tools Lead to Growth
"We developed two PowerPoint presentations for effective and effortless delivery of the orientation and training for mentors and mentees," says Crystal Fowler, from the Grande Prairie Lifelong Learning Council (GPLLC).
They also created a third PowerPoint to present to their community partners, potential employers, and organizations. These presentations will help in promoting and marketing GPLLC's mentorship program. They've already been using these PowerPoint presentations to perform in-person and online orientations.
"So far, GPLLC has gained five mentors and five mentees because of these presentations!" says Crystal.
GPLLC is a pilot site in the second project phase for AMP. The team has been enthusiastic about participating in knowledge-sharing with AMP partners and the mentorship community.
Creativity During Challenges Brings Unexpected Solutions
Najib Mangal, from Lethbridge Family Services (LFS), also found moments of celebration from COVID-19. “COVID gave us two options: shut down or think outside the box.”
So they thought outside the box. LFS approached the challenge like a lot of corporations would. They leveraged the resources they had to ensure the survival and growth of their programs. This included being a pilot site for AMP during our first project phase, which gave LFS access to program mentorship and mentorship resources. Pairing this with a great local network and creative staff. LFS quickly adapted to the new normal.
“The program bloomed during the initial phases of COVID. We put a lot of resources into going virtual. As a result, we went from 10 to 70 clients because we thought outside the box,” says Najib.
Flexible Models Help Mentors, Mentees, and Programs
Kemoh Mansaray, from the Lloydminster Local Immigration Partnership (LLIP), really appreciates the hybrid work approach. The pandemic forced LLIP, like many organizations, to learn how to work online as well as in-person. While Kemoh still believes there is great value in meeting with people and networking in person, knowing how to use online tools effectively has opened new doors. He now goes to Lloydminster every other week, which was not possible before COVID-19.
“For small centres like us, a hybrid approach is very valuable and will continue to be valuable in years to come,” says Kemoh.
This will allow LLIP to reach people outside their immediate vicinity and offer help to those who may live elsewhere.
Mentorship Programs Stepped Up to Challenges in 2022
“A stumbling block is a call to action,” says Doug Piquette, Executive Director of the Edmonton Region Immigration Employment Council (ERIEC). “Leverage social capital, call people, and get out there.”
That’s exactly what Alberta mentorship has done in 2022. As we approach 2023, we’re confident that it will also bring many moments worthy of celebration!
The Alberta Mentorship Program is appreciative of the funding from the Government of Alberta through Labour and Immigration, Workforce Strategies. Our program is here to provide information and support to help organizations start mentorship programs.