STSI MENTORING PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES 2022 – 2023

MENTORING PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES 2022 – 2023

By: Cheryl Brannan, STSI STEAM Program Architect Jhinelle Walker, STSI STEAM Program Consultant 1

Sister to Sister International, Inc. (STSI) is pleased to announce our diverse mentoring opportunities for 2022 – 2023, including our Mentoring Circles Series.

We will combine group, peer, and one-on-one mentoring (as illustrated above) into a series of STSI Mentoring Circles designed to support our next generation of leaders, as well as parents, in their efforts to better understand various career options along with the academic and soft skills needed to be successful in today’s marketplace. All students learn and processes information differently. Therefore, STSI’s unique approach will enable students to learn and reinforce knowledge, behaviors, and practices in diverse ways.

These initial offerings are targeted towards Black and Brown girls and girls of color in middle and high school. Students and parents quite often “don’t know what they don’t know”; therefore, these offerings can be eye-opening and function as a great opportunity to be exposed to a myriad of fields.

Below is a summary of the features and benefits of each offering.

MENTORING CIRCLES •

Mentoring Circles sessions are optional and will be facilitated monthly as 60-minute webinars that will feature topics like college preparation, medicine & medical fields, engineering, technology, architecture, and more. The schedule will be published, and students will register in advance.

•

Mentoring Circles sessions will feature a selected industry professional and an STSI alumni who is in the current field to provide students “real life” perspectives from new and seasoned professionals.

•

Mentoring Circles sessions will review the different types of jobs/businesses available in selected fields and other related details, such as academic requirements, salary ranges, and the typical workday experiences.

•

During Mentoring Circles sessions, students can ask questions and decide if they would like to pursue a one-on-one follow-up with a potential mentor. All sessions will be student optional, dependent on the mentor’s availability, and will be hosted on the STSI Zoom platform.

BENEFITS •

Students will be exposed to leading industries and learn from top-notch Black professionals and former STSI students without leaving the comfort of their homes.

•

Students can broaden their understanding of various industries, job types, and the required skills needed for them (gaining this information from the perspective of a person of color) and 2

decide which of these opportunities they have further interest in learning more about and/or pursuing.

•

Students can develop mentor/mentee relationships that can assist them when job hunting and can provide letters of support/recognition for them when they are applying to college, etc.

•

No question will be a silly question, and STSI will facilitate the sessions, ensuring that participants feel like it is a safe space to learn.

One-on-One Mentoring Overview & Benefits •

A one-on-one mentoring session with a potential mentor is a follow-up option after a mentoring circle session should a student want to seek more specific information regarding a prospective field, job type, etc.

•

A one-on-one mentoring session could be set-up with a potential mentor on an as-needed basis.

For example, if a student knows what they want to study in college or pursue as a career, they could benefit from a one-on-one session with someone in the field.

•

Benefits: Students can get on a fast-track towards potential upskill training and career opportunities.

*A Mentoring Circle for a select group of (8 to 10) STSI STEAM Sistahs in middle and high school Sister to Sister International (STSI) is delighted to have been selected to partner with UKG, an international Human Resource Services group, and their BUILD (Black Upcoming Individuals in Leadership and Development) Employee Resource Group to create a mentoring program that will provide upskills training to young women in Black communities as part of their Close the Gap Initiative.

A six-month pilot program will be facilitated using a Mentoring Circle format with the opportunity for one-on-one sessions as requested by participating students.

•

A six-month Mentoring Circle will launch in October 2022 thru March 2023 for a select group of (eight to ten) STSI STEAM Sistahs in middle and high school, who will meet once per month at a pre-scheduled time after school for a 75-minute session that will include an introduction to various positions and fields at UKG.

3

•

Monthly mentoring topics will include resume writing, creating a LinkedIn profile, communication skills, UKG & roles in the organization, business acumen and etiquette, career plan mapping, smart social networking, business terms, vocabulary, and more.

•

Attending each monthly virtual meeting of this Mentoring Circle will be required, and students who attend all six (6) sessions will receive a $100 gift card as part of their recognition.

•

A completed pre- and post-survey will be required as an important part of the evaluation process.

•

One-on-one mentoring sessions are an available opportunity that can be requested by participating students.

BENEFITS UKG pilot program will: •

Provide exposure to the workplace, various job types, and professionals in an international environment through the lens of Black employees.

•

Provide an opportunity to learn through discussion and activities.

•

Allow students to learn how to express and comport themselves in a business environment.

•

Provide a great experience that could be included in future resumes and provide a source for potential letters of support, recommendations, and on-going college and career path coaching.

•

Provide one-on-one coaching as an option.

4