Our global Virtual Remote Mentorship Program is among an array of services provided by Empower and Help. Peer-to-peer mentoring promotes an environment of mutual learning, cultural exchange, and duality for both parties. Adult mentors, student tutors, and student ambassadors are granted the unique opportunity to interact with students they are paired with from diverse backgrounds. The mentees come from all walks of life, such as refugees or displaced families, families from low-income or adverse communities, or local families in need of academic support.
The virtual sessions are held using Zoom or Google Meets. The mentor or tutor is responsible for creating a curriculum that matches their assigned mentee’s academic levels and needs. The mentor sets attainable goals for their mentee and guides them towards success.
Below are details on our different Remote Mentorship Chapters
Remote Mentorship Program June – August
The summer Remote Mentorship Program is part of the Empower And Help Ambassador Program. Students volunteer throughout the summer, learning leadership through service to others while being empowered and becoming empathetic global citizens. Student Ambassadors hold their mentoring sessions through Google Meets weekly. The Ambassadors may work in teams of two and be assigned one mentee. The Ambassadors are tasked with building curricula catered to their mentee’s needs and helping them improve their skills. The subjects studied include STEM, English, Coding, pronunciation, and reading lessons if required. This program offers a unique opportunity to make a lasting educational difference in students’ lives regardless of geographical boundaries. Students might be living in the USA or a refugee camp in Jordan; we believe every student deserves equitable educational opportunities. We firmly believe that education is a fundamental human right.
Remote Mentorship – US
The U.S. -based Remote Mentorship Program launched in the fall of 2020 in response to virtual learning due to COVID-19 school closures. The mission of this program is to make educational resources more accessible to students across the U.S. regardless of geographic and socio-economic barriers. This program aims to provide supplemental support by providing homework help via online tutoring to US-based students through the school year. The student and their student tutor work under the guidance of an adult mentor.
Remote Mentorship – India
In 2021, our Remote Mentorship Program expanded to India in collaboration with SAATHI, a New Delhi-based non-profit organization. Through this collaborative effort, we can reach underprivileged children in India and provide after-school support and a platform to teach them the foundations of English and Maths. The material we cover is not limited to their school work and our goal is to bridge the gap between their current knowledge and what is taught in their schools. Because of this, our first step is always to assess the children to gauge their knowledge level. For example, a sixth-grade student may not be performing at a sixth-grade level in English or math; the initial assessment will help us understand each student’s needs. Depending on the outcomes of the assessment, the mentor will then source material and lessons that cater to the student’s individual needs. . We also provide Chromebooks to the students and with the help of our partner, SAATHI, are able to assist with an internet connection, if required. Our aim is to provide academic support and open a safe space for these children to learn important values about hard work, discipline, and success. Our objective is to provide these children with the confidence and encouragement they need so they, in turn, can have the power to change their reality. We are currently working with adult volunteers to mentor these children committed to this program until August 31, 2021. We welcome new mentors who understand basic Hindi as the children are generally not fluent in English. The mentors will perform the following tasks every week, requiring about 3-4 hours of their time per week:
- Create lesson plans and materials
- Upload weekly material & homework online
- Google Meet class with the student (1 hour)
Remote Mentorship – Middle East
In 2021, our Remote Mentorship Program expanded as part of our collaboration with edSeed, a program under the California-based non-profit organization VIP.fund, which helps conflict-impacted students crowd-fund for their higher education. This collaboration is part of the summer Remote Mentorship Program; it runs from June to August. Our student ambassadors are paired with college-aged Syrian refugee students based in Lebanon and Za’atari Refugee camp in Jordan. This is a unique collaboration because it affords both parties a first-hand glimpse into life from different sides of the globe. The mission of this chapter and partnership is to help the edSeed scholars enhance their English speaking and writing skills, learn research methods to help them with their education, and create an e-commerce project that can help generate revenue for their college fees. Our Ambassadors will be responsible for developing curricula that will help their mentees learn and master their new skills and guide them through new concepts. The benefits of this chapter are insurmountable. Our Ambassadors will learn first-hand the pangs of war, make a direct and lasting positive impact on someone’s life, and have a growing experience, all while having fun along the way.
FAQs
FAQs for families or students looking for tutoring help: –
1) How may I request Remote Mentorship assistance for my child (K-12)?
- Send us an email at contactus@empowerandhelp.com or send a text message to (732)490-1666.
- Empower And Help volunteers will call you to answer your queries and walk you through the next steps.
2) How will the tutoring sessions be held?
All sessions are held virtually via Zoom or Google Meets.
3) How often will the tutoring sessions take place?
Tutoring sessions will be held once or twice a week, depending on the needs and available resources.
4) Who will offer the Sessions?
Student volunteers or Adult Mentors will offer the sessions.
5) Are the tutoring sessions FREE?
Yes, all of Empower and Help’s tutoring sessions are FREE.
FAQs for volunteers looking to help with tutoring: –
Please fill out the volunteer forms to apply for the Volunteering position.