It takes a Village….so we created one!
Overview for Mentors
LDI CONNECT is our short-form mentorship program that offers students in the 5th & 6th form as well as 1st and 2nd year college students the opportunity to receive in-depth advice about career paths they are interested in pursuing.
Through this program, students are paired with professionals from their desired industry, and over the course of three virtual sessions, they can ask questions, seek advice, and gain a better understanding of the job from an industry expert.
What it means to be a mentor
Being a mentor means volunteering your time and expertise to guide aspiring young adults who want to work in the same field as you do.
As a mentor, you will have the opportunity to share your knowledge and experience, inspire and motivate young adults, and help them navigate the challenges of starting a career.
Our mentorship program differs from the typical one-on-one program, which often lasts for a year or more. Our short-form program is focused on career exploration and consists of 3 virtual sessions, each lasting one hour each.
The Process
Our process for matching and connecting mentors with students is straightforward. We take care of all the heavy lifting to make the mentorship process as seamless as possible.
As part of the application process, students are requested to indicate their top three career choices.
We leverage our network of mentors, which we refer to as the "village," to identify the best match for each student based on their career preferences.
We then contact the appropriate mentor and request that they provide us with their three most suitable dates and times for a meeting with the student.
We present the meeting date options to the students and ask them to choose one that is most convenient for them.
The last step is to arrange a virtual meeting on Zoom, Google Meet, or MS Teams and share the details with both the mentor and the students.
Safety and Privacy
We take the safety and privacy of our program participants, both mentors and mentees, very seriously.
Students under the age of 18 cannot participate unless a consent form signed by a parent or guardian is provided.
All of our mentors are carefully selected and must be vetted for suitability.
We never, ever give students access to mentor information (and visa versa). In fact, both mentors and mentees are prohibited from requesting the information during sessions.
We coordinate and record all contact between mentees and mentors, they never meet in person.
And lastly, while we encourage the students to drive the conversation with mentors, parents are welcome to attend the sessions and end the sessions if they feel uncomfortable.
By volunteering with us, you'll have the opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of these young adults and help them understand and achieve their career goals.
We know your time is valuable, which is why we developed this short form mentoring program. As a mentor, you determine the best time to connect with your mentee, and we only ask that you commit to three one-hour sessions per student. During this time, you'll be able to connect with a mentee and provide them with valuable insights, advice, and support as they embark on their career journey.
We believe that every young Jamaican deserves the opportunity to succeed, and with your help, we can make that a reality. So sign up today!
Join Us