Mentor-advocates are community volunteers who work one-on-one with a student (referred to as a scholar) through the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program. Mentor-advocates commit to spending at least two hours per week with their scholar, building a consistent and supportive relationship that includes advocacy, encouragement, enrichment, and connection with the scholar’s family. The initial term of service is two years, though many mentors choose to continue working with their scholar well beyond the initial term when the relationship remains strong and healthy.
Community mentors must be at least 25 years old and are required to submit an online application. All mentor-advocates must complete the full series of New Mentor Orientation training sessions, offered each fall and spring. Ongoing education and training opportunities are also available to strengthen mentors’ skills and deepen their understanding of effective mentorship and advocacy.
Providing comprehensive training ensures mentors are well-prepared, confident, and effective in supporting their scholars—particularly students of color who may benefit from additional advocacy and access to equitable opportunities. The New Mentor Orientation serves two purposes: training and screening. During the sessions, mentors learn about their role as mentor-advocates and participate in interactive activities designed to prepare them for real-world challenges. Training topics include Program Orientation and Overview, How to Be a Great Mentor, and Advocacy 101.
New mentors also have opportunities to meet scholars, families, experienced mentors, and social workers, learning from their experiences and building community connections. Throughout the mentoring relationship, mentors are asked to submit monthly logs of their activities and to complete an exit interview—either in writing or verbally—at the conclusion of their service. Blue Ribbon provides two trainings a year, in the fall and spring.
Mentor Testimonial:
Serving as a Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate has been an extremely rewarding experience for me. Over the past five and a half years, I have been privileged to be part of a young person's life and have enjoyed being in community with my scholar, her family, and her friends.
She and I have shared our challenges, curiosities, and dreams. We encourage each other to face our fears and move forward with confidence -- in ourselves and in knowing that we have at least one other person supporting us. We practice questioning to discern rather than to dissuade. We are empowering ourselves to see possibilities that we once may never have envisioned. Together, we are growing as we share the roles of mentor and scholar.
Thank you to the Blue Ribbon Mentor-Advocate program for providing this opportunity to support our youth and for creating a framework that ensures we are well equipped to do that.
New mentor orientation also serves as a screening tool for the program. The training is designed for staff members to learn about the mentor-advocates. Specifically, the mentor-advocates are observed in discussions and role plays that might help the staff determine whether or not the volunteer is appropriate for the program and what type of scholar might be the best match for them.
Ongoing education training is generally offered twice a year and can cover a wide variety of topics. Some trainings get further in-depth around topics mentors are already familiar with, but others may introduce new topics or material.
Mentor Personality and Interest Survey
BRMA is an incredibly valuable program for all the students involved and the mentors that are so lucky to know them. I had the joy of matching with a student in the 4th grade and we remained mentor/mentee through her high school graduation. I watched her grow from a child to a young adult. Together we were able to experience so many exciting events, programs, and activities throughout the Triangle and beyond. One of the best experiences was taking her to the beach for the first time. BRMA is such an amazing program run by amazing people and I was honored to be a part of it for so long.
-Rachel
