Launched in February 2021, Transformative Mentoring is a school-based mentoring initiative that uses an anti-racist approach to college, career & life readiness designed specifically to support students in the middle grades (although the approach has relevance for all grade levels). Through culturally responsive curriculum and professional learning opportunities, Transformative Mentoring cultivates student- and equity-centered spaces where students can articulate who they are now, reflect on what they want for their future selves, and have access to adults who will support and guide them toward the futures they define, desire and deserve.

Mentor Responsibilities

• Attend a 90-minute orientation and participate in monthly 1-hour Professional Learning Community sessions (November through June)
• Meet at least once a week with your mentee group
• Meet individually (1:1) with each mentee once a month for at least 15 minutes
• Create connections and build relationships with mentees that foster growth
• Co-create a plan with mentees to support their wellbeing and success
• Provide direct support aligned with your experience and strengths to address mentee-identified needs and connect your mentee to additional resources as needed
• Complete program assessments and encourage student participation in assessments up to three times a year (i.e., pre/post and midyear)

Site Coordinator Responsibilities

• Coordinate initial partnership details with district staff
• Communicate/coordinate as needed with school-based and district staff to support implementation (e.g., identify participating staff and students, meeting with appropriate school-based staff to confirm scheduling, etc.)
• Work with district staff to ensure collection of data (e.g., mentor/mentee participant list, consent forms, program assessments)
• Check in at least biweekly with each participating mentor and up to three times a year (i.e., pre/post and midyear) with district staff

Important Logistics

• Transformative Mentoring is a group mentoring initiative that takes place within an existing school-based activity, such as advisory or double block, affinity spaces, lunch groups, or out-of-school time programming.
• The stipend for Transformative Mentoring is meant to cover approximately 6-7 additional hours of work per month (e.g., planning, PD, and 1:1 meetings outside of school hours) for participating school-based staff. Stipend amounts, which are prorated based on the month programming starts, are as follows:
• Mentors with up to four mentees – $330/month
• Mentors with up to eight mentees – $385/month
• Site Coordinators at schools with at least four mentors – $330/month
• Site Coordinators at schools with up to eight mentors – $385/month
• For sites that have more than eight mentors, please identify additional Site Coordinators as needed.
• Site Coordinators may also serve as mentors, in which case they may receive an additional stipend; this requires advance district approval.

Questions?

Contact MBKTM@bostonpublicschools.org