June 2021!
Check out our NEW Mentor Resource Hub (MRH)!
If you've visited the MRH lately, you probably noticed some of the amazing updates we've been working on to make our page, and the OP Website, a pleasant experience for our users. We're happy to officially announce the launch of our updated Mentor Resource Hub! Tap into our Mentor Resource Hub (MRH) where you will find our program's extensive collection of Mentor resources, including:
Mentor Portal Support; COVID-19 Resources for Scholars; Mentor Directory; Mentor Newsletter Archive; Mentor Staff and Lead Contact Info; and Scholar Internship, Job, & Scholarship Opportunities
Use the password: mentors4OP to login.
June Observances:
June is Pride Month
This month we are celebrating National Pride Month. Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Riots, which occurred in June of 1969. Click the links below to learn more about the history of Pride Month, MENTOR's Pride Mentoring Month Campaign and resources for supporting LGBTQ+ youth.
Juneteenth
Though the 1963 Emancipation Proclamation is recognized as the end of slavery in the United States, June 19th, 1865 was the date that the more than 250,000 enslaved African-Americans in Galveston Bay, Texas were informed of the end of the Civil War and told that they were free. This date, referred to as "Juneteenth", commemorates the actual end of slavery in the U.S. and "marks our country's second independence day."
June Theme:
Self Reflection
This month's newsletter theme is Self Reflection! As we close out another academic year, we encourage you to take a few moments to pause and reflect on the past year, celebrate your accomplishments and identify areas for growth. This year brought challenges on many fronts for each of us, and yet, we adapted and pushed ourselves to persevere through it all.
As you take this time to reflect and reset, we encourage you to think back to all the ways you've grown individually and in your mentoring relationship with your Scholar. To help facilitate this reflection, check out the resource below that includes crucial reflection questions every Mentor should ask themselves after each conversation with their mentees.
General Announcements:
Welcome 2021 Mentors!
We are excited to welcome the 200+ of you who are Mentors to one (or more) of our 315 Oakland Promise Class of 2021 Scholars! We sent out match letters on June 1st informing you of your 2021 OP Scholar match(es), and included the welcome video above with messages from OP staff and our treasured Mentor Leads. We hope you are enjoying the beginning of your Mentor-Scholar relationships. Know that this is just the start of a long and rewarding journey!
Announcing the New Mentor Portal!
The OP Mentor Portal gives you access to your “Profile” (your contact information, employer, education), your Scholars (contact information, enrollment status, Scholar Docs submission status and more) and Resources (link to the Mentor Resource Hub, Mentor-Scholar Activities, videos, articles and more). The Scholars also have access to their own Portal where they are be able to view, submit and track documents, including Scholar Docs, surveys, Mentor-Scholar Activities, Job and Internship Activities and more!
All OP Mentors should have received an email inviting them to activate and log into their portals on June 1st. Please do so if you haven't already! We have created tutorials and user guides (linked below) to help you get the most out of the portal experience.
Oakland Promise Survey
Oakland Promise is conducting a survey to refine the messaging of our organization when introducing ourselves to people who may not be familiar with Oakland Promise. We would love to hear your thoughts! You can take this 5 minute survey using the link below. We appreciate your support and will be raffling off a $50 gift card to those who complete the survey by Friday, June 11th!
Mentor Recruitment
We are proud to announce that every 2021 Scholarship recipient who requested a Mentor has been matched with one! To those of you who are new to the Program, we welcome you and appreciate you volunteering your time and support to our talented and resilient Scholars. To those of you who have Mentored before and are taking on an additional Scholar, we thank you all the work you've done thus far, and appreciate you showing how much you believe in our students and in our Program.
The fun never stops! We will launch or next recruiting cycle in September. And with an ever growing group of dedicated OP Mentors, we thank you in advance for all the amazing work you will do - not only as Mentors, but also in supporting our recruitment efforts to ensure that our next cohort of Scholars has access to a group of Mentors as dedicated and empathetic as yourselves. Welcome to our Program!
Mentor Google Group Update
Due to an internal error, our OP Mentor Google Group was permanently deleted last week. Unfortunately, this means that OP Mentor Program Staff and OP Mentors can no longer access the Google Group and its content.
Though the permanent close of our OP Mentor Google Group was unintentional, we have decided not to create a new Google Group at this time. Our Mentor Facebook Group has the same function as the Google Group (platform for Mentors to share and receive event updates and job/internship/scholarship opportunities for their Scholars), and also provides a space for Mentors to network with one another on behalf of their students. If you haven’t already, we highly recommend you to join the OP Mentor Facebook Group and share any opportunities you receive in your personal networks there.
Reminders for your Scholars
Supporting our Entrepreneur Scholars
We have so many amazing OP Scholars who are entrepreneurs that have been working hard this year. At OP, we want to showcase all of the incredible work that they do!
If your Scholar (or their family) has a small business, they can apply to have their business featured on the @oaklandpromisescholars Instagram page! We want to show their business some love and advertise it to the greater Oakland community. Encourage your Scholar to apply today!
OP Black Excellence Grant
In partnership with Harlem Children's Zone, the Oakland Promise has launched our Black Excellence Grant, to support Oakland Black/African-American Scholars in achieving their post-secondary goals. Oakland Promise believes in an Oakland community without barriers to equity, and we hope this grant can provide additional financial support to our Black youth. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis -- encourage your Scholar to apply today!
OP Youth Organizer Grant
Students can still apply to our Oakland Promise Youth Organizer Grant! This grant is open to Oakland youth of any age seeking to start or continue efforts of community service and leadership within Black or other underserved communities of color. Any youth in Oakland engaged in activism in service of the Black and/or underserved communities of color, or to youth-led nonprofit organizations or initiatives are encouraged to apply. If you know any Oakland youth who fit this criteria, encourage them to apply today!
Mentor Reminders
Stay Connected with the Community
Our OP Mentor Facebook Group is the place to receive the most up-to-date Mentor Program announcements and connect with the OP Mentor community to share mentoring tips, questions, internship/job opportunities and more.
Join today!
We want to hear from YOU!
What moments stand out for you? How are you growing as a Mentor?
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:
BCC & Other Community Colleges, HBCU, NorCal, SoCal, CSUEB, UCSC and Laney/College of Alameda.
Mentor Leads are helpful, committed and experienced folks who want to support their Mentor teammates.
Apply today below!
This Month, We're Listening to..
"Naomi Osaka’s withdrawal from the French Open highlights how mental health ranks below physical health"
PBS News Hour, Dorothy Chin and Tamra Burns Loeb, "The Conversation", June 3rd, 2021
