Section #3: Resources
Referrals for Counseling and Assistance
If your student requires counselling for issues beyond the scope of this mentorship program, you may remind them of the resources that are available to them at the University:
- Academic Counselling
Academic Success Centre: http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/asc - Career Counselling
Career Centre: http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/cc - General Health Counselling, Personal counselling and psychotherapy, Assault counselling
Health and Wellness Centre: https://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/hwc - Disability Assistance
Accessibility Services Office: http://www.studentlife.utoronto.ca/as
Additional Items
A few ideas to keep in mind as discussion topics or other initiatives
- What types of skills and competencies are employers looking for in new hires?
- The importance of additional training/degree(s) for entry into your line of work
- Preparing for the transition from student life to the workforce
- Finding out about his or her interests and hobbies
- Asking about courses, extra-curricular and part-time work of the student
- Offer to critique their resume; any suggestions you can provide would be most welcome
- Introduce the student to colleagues or associates who may have work experience and/or background that is of interest to the student
- E-mail an article that might be of interest to your student
Testimonials from past mentors
- “Mentoring someone is so important.”
- “Mentoring a seriously bright and interesting student was a joy.”
- “Make a personal connection with the undergraduates. Feels good to be helpful.”
- “I enjoyed getting to know my mentee and hearing about each step of the graduate application process from his perspective. I was glad of the opportunity to share my experiences.”
- “Although I am not in Toronto, I enjoyed my skype conversations with my mentee.”
- “Thanks for offering this great program and thanks for letting me be a part of it!”
- “I enjoy the experience; specifically, being helpful, sharing my experiences, and encouraging students by letting them know that they have something to offer.”
- “Learned about current challenges today's students face, how to consult and provide advice to students, risk management.”
- “I really enjoyed talking with my mentee to get to know her and learn about her plans for the future. It was exciting to talk with her after her first paper was accepted. It is important to me to support younger scientists as I have been supported by those more senior than me.”
Timeline
September
Alumni and students will be notified of one another’s name and contact information. At this point, students will be directed to initiate contact with their mentor, by e-mail, to introduce themselves. This should take place before the launch event. A formal invitation for the launch event will be sent to you in late-September.
October through March
Participate in (minimum 4) meetings with students; it will be the student’s responsibility to take the initiative in arranging these meetings. Ideally, one of these three contacts should be in the form of a visit to your workplace, and include a brief tour of the worksite, wherever possible. If you are located in a different geographical location than your mentee, and face to face meetings are not possible, you many use online methods of communication such as Zoom, Skype or email to connect with your mentee. * Due to COVID-19 all meetings can be virtual until face to face meetings are safe and possible again.
January
Attend an optional mid-year event to meet other mentors and mentees.
March
Attend the Physics Mentorship Program closing event at U of T. This event will take place in the evening and will be a final chance for students to thank their mentors and network.
April
Complete a program evaluation form; this will be very helpful in our continued efforts to improve the program.