April 2020!

COVID-19 Program Updates:

During these unprecedented times, the Oakland Promise Mentor Team wants you to know that we are dedicated to supporting you as you navigate your relationship with your Scholar in this new reality. 

We will continue to update our Mentor Resource Hub (MRH), located on the OP Website, with important communications OP sends to our Scholars, as well as helpful local and national resources that you can pass along to your Scholar and will hopefully find useful for your mentoring practice. Please continue to regularly check our MRH (pw: mentors4OP) in order to stay the most connected and up-to-date with our program. As always, please feel free to reach out to your Mentor Lead or the OP Mentor Team if you need any additional support.

April Tip for Mentors:

Tools to Support Social Distancing and Help Prevent Social Isolation

In a time of social-distancing, it is even more important for our Mentor-Scholar pairs to remain in contact with regular check-ins. We encourage you to add FaceTime, Skype, or another visual aspect to your check-ins with Scholars. This small shift can enable you to connect meaningfully with your student, maintain social-distancing, and  minimize the social isolation some may be feeling during this time. 

Because video communication may be a new tool for some of you, the Mentor Team has linked a few instructions for getting started with FaceTime, Skype and Google Hangouts. We think they are fairly comprehensive and clearly written and easy to follow. Of course, a quick internet search about any of these video communication tools will also yield other resources.

As with anything new, especially tech, we expect some early challenges with getting used to any of these options if you are using them for the first time. Consider that many, if not most, Scholars have some experience with video communication, so don’t be afraid to ask your Scholar for support; it’s a great way to have them share some of their knowledge and expertise with you! 

We strongly suggest adding some form of video communication to the way you connect with your Scholar, especially during this time. 

Mentor News and Updates:

Tap into our Mentor Resource Hub (MRH) for a collection of useful Mentor resources at your fingertips! Some of the resources include:

Mentor Staff and Lead Contact Info; Newsletter Archive; Scholar Scenarios & Coaching Tips; Scholar Internship, Job, & Scholarship Opportunities; and Campus Resource Guides.

Use the password: mentors4OP to login.

Cancelled:

Oakland Promise Awards Ceremony 2020

Out of an abundance of caution as a result of the current health crisis, OP has decided to cancel our 2020 Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, June 2nd.

We will, however, be planning a celebration of the incoming 2020 Scholars later in the summer. This event will be required for any new or existing Mentors who match with a 2020 OP Scholar. More details to be shared soon!

Monthly Mentor Survey

Now Live!

              This is a reminder to fill out our April monthly Mentor survey! This is a great opportunity to let us know what is working in your Mentor-Scholar relationship, and what additional supports OP can provide you with. Need help reconnecting with your Scholar? Let us know in this month's survey! 

Be sure to check your inbox for our March Monthly Mentor-Scholar Interaction Survey open now through April 8th.

Help Us Reach Our Mentor Recruitment Goal!

Know someone interested in becoming a Mentor to an Oakland Youth? Interested in mentoring a second (or third!) Scholar? Are you able to volunteer at one of our upcoming Mentor Information Sessions?

Click the link below to find the Mentor requirements, virtual Mentor Information Session schedule, and more!

Keep an eye out for our new Mentor Outreach Campaign which features some of our amazing Scholars and Mentors! These beautiful images can be found at 35 bus shelters around Oakland, Emeryville, and Berkeley. Many thanks to our talented Mentors, Madeleine Maguire and Richard Tseng of Edelman SF, for the generous donation of their time and talent!

Scholar News and Updates:

Stay in-the-know with Scholar updates, including tips for Mentors to help your Scholar practice.

This Month's Theme is:

April Workshop: Virtual-Interview Prep & Follow-up Tips

In this issue, you will also find:

April Scholar Internship & Job Opportunities

April Scholar Scholarship Opportunities

Stay Connected with the Community

Our Oakland Promise Google Group is the perfect platform to receive and share job, internship, scholarship, and other academic opportunities for our Scholars. From the “My Groups” page, you can control when and if to receive email updates from the Group as well as how to opt out of the Group.

Join today!

We want to hear from YOU!

What moments stand out for you? How are you growing as a Mentor? Which of these lessons do you think would be helpful to other Mentors?

Each Mentor-Scholar relationship is unique, and sharing it can help others - including New Mentors - learn about what to expect, how to manage their expectations, how to celebrate successes, and more.

Mentor Leads Needed!

We are seeking 1-2 Mentor Leads and/or Co-Leads to support the following teams: HBCU, SJSU, SFSU, SoCal, NorCal, UCSC, Pvt/East Coast, Pvt/West Coast, Merritt College, CSUEB, BCC & Other CCs and Laney/College of Alameda.  Mentor Leads are helpful, committed and experienced folks who want to support their Mentor teammates.  

Apply today below!