It’s the end of September, and the courses are beginning! We have assembled our Mentors and provided them with the resources they need to initiate our pilot programme.
Our partner and peer from Italy, Materahub, shares their insights below on the process it took to get to the point where we are now.
The Yes C+C project aims at enhancing creative, cultural and digital competences of adult learners using a holistic approach method that takes into consideration the total care of the individual and puts the physical, mental, emotional aspects on the same level. The learners are adults who wish to improve their creative, cultural and innovative competences and skills with special emphasis in more vulnerable groups such as unemployed people, women and low-skilled people.
Its main objective is to develop a training program that allows adult learners to develop creative projects that improve their employability and social and labor inclusion.
The project is based on the interaction of two key figures: the Mentor and the Mentee. Generally, each mentor corresponds to several mentees, to whom he or she must provide reception, attentiveness to their needs, customization of the project content, and understanding and guidance throughout the process. During the recruitment process, the mentor was given a questionnaire to conduct with the mentees which aimed to gather relevant data (whether he or she is a student, unemployed, or a young person entering the world of work for the first time) to fully understand the mentee’s current situation. At this point, the mentor can begin, with the help of the mentee, to draw up a personalized curriculum that can also include collaboration with the rest of the mentee group. This part is very important because everyone can bring his own point of view to the class during the lessons and offer advice to the other mentees.
The effectiveness of the mentor within the project is manifested through his or her educational strategy: traditional or linked to an innovative learning method. The study hours are divided between face-to-face lectures, individual instruction, and self-learning, and the mentor has the duty to make sure that each mentee participates and brings his or her contribution (related to their background or field of study) to the group.
One of Materahub’s mentees is Alice. Her story is that of a young student of modern literature who, having just finished her bachelor’s degree, is looking to find her way. Her dream is to become a teacher and to continue at university, but she would also like to pursue a path that is more toward the world of culture and creativity. For this reason, she chose to take the course under the guidance of mentor Paola, who submitted the questionnaire to Alice to get a better understanding of her background, education, and motivations for enrolling in the course. Paola can now offer Alice a customized, educational approach. In this case, precisely because of the mentee’s background in pedagogy, mentor Paola decided that they would write and design the course together, to allow Alice to express her own knowledge about education and to deepen her understanding of mentor Paola’s methods and knowledge. Then, the mentor made sure that Alice could manifest her prior skills to be useful to herself and the mentee group during the lessons. She really liked the idea and during the first lesson she really could express herself with joy and motivation.
Here, then, is the true value of the Mentor: that of engaging with the Mentees on a personal level and providing the space to be inspired and motivated about the challenges they may face as creative, passionate people. With the personalized approach, the mentor is not just simply a teacher or trainer, administering content, but more importantly, a collaborator!
The course consists of six modules that the Mentor & Mentee can choose from the eight offered through the Mentor’s Guide. Courses will begin next week!
Happy Learning from Yes C+C!