Empowering Future Leaders: Join the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership’s Mentorship Initiative

The Connect | Focus | Grow training was developed as part of the National Mentoring Project, a pilot project managed by MENTOR in partnership with the America’s Promise Alliance / Center for Promise and with support from the Schultz Family Foundation. The National Mentoring Project aims to expand the web of quality relationship supports and social capital that younger employees/mentees/interns need to develop the skills necessary to successfully navigate the workplace including securing and sustaining employment. Underlying this training is MENTOR’s guiding vision, which is that all younger employees, mentees, and interns have access to a web of support from caring adults and can form empowering relationships that: – Promote the pursuit of the younger employees/mentees/intern’s passions, skills and interests – Enable younger employees/mentees/interns access to and exploration of spaces where these can be pursued – Help younger employees/mentees/interns overcome personal and/or institutional obstacles This vision is underpinned by the approach MENTOR uses to help adults and younger employees form relationships, which is grounded in positive development and youth-centrism. This approach: – Recognizes that young people are assets and experts about themselves and their communities – Supports young people in identifying and building strengths – Brings young people and adults together to work as equal partners as appropriate – Builds young people’s connections to their own identity, culture and community helping them to see their own social capital and supporting the extension of social capital through mentoring – Engages young people as leaders on issues that matter to them.