Proposal for Partnership between Global Possibility Network (GPN) and

Amigos de Santa Cruz (Amigos)

Purpose: The purpose of this partnership is to create opportunities for mentorship to be woven

into the fabric of Amigos’ work with youth. GPN and Amigos will collaborate to establish a

culture of mentorship through which youth and adults are able to form symbiotic relationships.

Vision: Establishing a culture of mentorship means that the members of a community have a

person or people in their lives that they can trust to offer support, guidance, and care. The role of

a mentor, above all else, is to listen. Through asking powerful questions and listening from the

heart, mentors support mentees to envision and create the life that they want to live. The beauty

of mentorship is that the mentors are also inspired to reflect on their own lives and ask

themselves what they truly want in life. Possibility mentoring provides a certain structure for

mentoring through the use of a 5 step model. Over the course of mentoring sessions, mentees are

guided through these five steps:

1. Exploration - what would you like to see improve in your life? Here are some of the

responses that our mentees have explored: do better in school, spend more time with my dad,

help the homeless, be a better big brother, learn about snakes, get better at basketball, clean

up the trash on the streets.

2. Prioritize - what is one goal that you want to focus on this week?

3. Plan - what is one action you can take this week to make progress towards your goal? When

making a plan, mentors help their mentees to create a plan that is specific and attainable. For
 example: this Friday at 2pm, I am going to call my dad and ask if he wants to play basketball

with me.

4. Action - carry out the plan

5. Assess - how did it go? This last step is very important. Although mentees may be

enthusiastic about a particular goal, they don’t always follow through on their plan. If this is

the case, then mentors help their mentees to clarify what they really want and to figure out

the obstacles that prevent them from fulfilling their plans.

So, we have our goal : to establish a culture of mentorship within the communities involved with

Amigos de Santa Cruz. Now, here is one version of a plan. This is not a script.

Consider this plan to be a conversation starter:

1. March - May 2023. Recruit a program coordinator (PC). During this time, Pablo and

Harry will meet on Zoom 1-2 times each month to discuss the process of recruiting a PC.

The PC is a person who has the skills and consciousness to be a lead mentor - someone who

can mentor youth and adults. Someone who can work with small groups and large groups.

Someone who embodies the qualities of a great mentor through their words, their actions,

and their choices. Someone who is committed to living on the land during the majority of the

year, working with Amigos to continually build this project for at least 3-4 years.

2. May - August 2023. Leadership meetings and recruiting mentors. The lead team

members of this project - Harry, Pablo, PC, maybe Flavio - will meet on Zoom 2-3 times

each month to discuss plans, opportunities, and strategies. During this time, Pablo and PC
 will begin recruiting mentors. In Philadelphia, our mentors are university students who are

studying to be counselors, and this program serves as their internship / practicum to get the

necessary field experience in order to graduate. Mentors can also be teachers, tutors, and

caring adults in the community. Mentors must demonstrate a willingness to being mentored

themselves. They must also commit to being a mentor for at least one school year.

3. September - December 2023. Finalizing our mentor team, having mentor meetings,

and choosing the youth population on which to focus. During September, October, and

November - Pablo, Harry, and PC will continue to have Zoom meetings to discuss the who,

where, and how.

- Who are the youth involved in this program (ages 12-14 or 15-18)?

- Where will mentoring occur (during the school day in school or as part of an after school

program)?

- How frequently will mentoring occur?

Ideally by the end of November, we have our final roster of mentors. During the month of

December, we will have 2 meetings on Zoom with all of the mentors, Pablo, the PC, and

Harry.

3. January - March 2024. First season of mentoring. 3-4 youth are assigned to each mentor.

Harry will be in Guatemala during this time. While Harry is in Guatemala, he will be

involved in the following ways:

- Weekly meeting with Pablo and PC - to discuss opportunities for sustainability and address

challenges that may arise

- Weekly meeting with PC, Pablo, and mentors - to support mentors in improving their practice

- Joining and leading different mentoring groups at different times - providing mentors an

opportunity to see an experienced mentor in action.

4. Continuing into 2024. Maintain communication and support as needed. Harry will leave

Guatemala at the end of February / beginning of March. He will continue to be available for

Zoom calls with Pablo, PC, and mentors. PC will continue to have weekly meetings with

mentors to help them improve their practice.

Questions:

1. How long does the program run? This program is designed to run for the entirety of a

school year, take a break during school vacation, and then continue again once the school

year begins.

2. How many kids? This depends on how many mentors we can recruit. But for this first phase

of this program, I think a good number to aim for would be 8 - 10 mentors, which would

mean 24 - 40 youth participants.

3. What is the cost of this program? This depends on who is getting paid for this work.

Ideally, Harry, Pablo, and PC can all get paid. If the mentors are university students, then

they would not get paid because it would be a part of their internship. If the mentors are

teachers, and this program happens as part of the school day, then the teachers are already

being paid by the school and would not need additional payment. If the mentors are tutors or

community members, it would be great to pay them as well, although some may be happy to
 volunteer their time. Harry, Pablo, and PC will need to meet and discuss the salaries that they

each want to earn, to decide if / how much to pay mentors, and to explore opportunities to

secure grant funding.

4. How can this program be sustainable? This is the million dollar question. This is why it is

so important to have a program coordinator who is committed to being involved with this

program for at least 3-4 years. Commitment enables sustainability. According to this model,

Harry serves as a consultant and coach. His commitment is essential to sustainability as well

- being available for zoom meetings throughout the time that he is in the US, and being

involved in the work on-site when he is in Guatemala. The long-term vision of this project

would be that the first generation of leaders eventually pass the torch on to the next

generation once the right people have stepped forward and demonstrated their commitment

to this work. Mentees become mentors. Mentors become leaders. Leaders expand mentoring

to other schools and communities. Through commitment, adaptability, and creativity, we

have the potential to create a network of schools and communities, in which a culture of

mentorship enables youth and adults to live prosperous and fulfilling lives.