Mentorship Program
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Contact Information
Hours of Operation
9AM-5PM
Program Overview
"Evidence shows that a one-on-one, caring relationship can significantly improve a young person's well-being and prospects in life, especially when she or he is alone, without a parent or care-giver, and trying to navigate a new country and new way of life,"
-UNICEF Country Coordinator for the Migration Program in Italy, Anna Riatti.
Due to the current realities of COVID-19 our mentorship program will take place solely online. This will be reevaluated and assessed accordingly in relation to government protocols. Our mentors will be required to set aside a minimum of *2 hours a week to 'work' with said child. This can be increased indefinitely with discretion to the mentor and mentee and their goals/aspirations.
The requirements of each mentor and mentee will differ significantly based on the individual. For example, some children may be looking for a more academic approach however it should be noted that a mentor is NOT limited to an education basis. Emotional and psychological mentors are significant. For example, a mentor that is teaching young children life skills such as our partners at 'The Boy Scouts'. "In Scouting, boys and girls start with their best right now selves and grow into their very best future selves. It's fun, hands-on learning and achievement that puts kids in the middle of the action and prepares them for today – and for life."
We will also explore the process of team mentoring, pairing children with common stories and backgrounds together allowing for a mentor to have a dynamic group of refugee/immigrant children- this may benefit a child who is perhaps shy or has few friends in the United States. Allowing an opportunity to also socialize and create friendships through commonality.
- One-on-one mentoring. This can provide volunteers with a more personal experience in which they build a strong bond and feel trusted.
- Team mentoring. This has the benefit of offering multiple perspectives on issues, which may be helpful for providing guidance and feedback.
- Distance mentoring. Through ZOOM, Whatsapp, Email, Phone Call and other online communication we will build a mentor-mentee relationship that complies with the social distancing protocol.
ESL tutoring proposal, including the state of the
current ESL volunteer program that we want to significantly expand via this proposal and funding request
We are currently running an active ESL tutoring program in which volunteers complete a background check and are paired tutors based on their age, needs and time availability. Currently each tutor and tutee meet based on their discretion. There are currently 10 active individuals enrolled in said program as it is new, we aim to expand this initiative significantly with the aid of additional funding. We have seen a significantly positive response from said meetings and genuinely believe in the messaging behind it.
We are witnessing a worldwide surge in the
number of people who have been forced to flee their homes, a number unparalleled in the post-WWII era. (Raithelhuber, 2018). Given the current climate in the United States, there is a great deal of discussion surrounding immigration and
refugees. Fear, misperceptions, and lack of information have created a climate of uncertainty about offering support, services or a helping hand to many groups of "new" Americans. Tapestri aims to educate and spread awareness on this topic whilst running a successful mentorship program that aims to help immigrant/refugee youth in a variety of unique ways, including, providing language tutoring and job opportunities, teaching a new culture and facilitating a connection to school.
It should be noted that our clients have experienced a physical and/or psychological level of trauma that will affect them on a day to basis and bleed into other aspects of their lives- affecting their confidence and ability to integrate effectively into a new culture. Our clients have left their homelands and loved ones and often experience separation anxiety and PTSD, not to mention language barriers and lack of understanding in relation to Western culture. This is only exacerbated when the individual that is enduring trauma is a minor. Through a variety of factors, the unaccompanied minors who enroll in our programs often do not have a successful, emotionally/financially stable adult in their lives to look up too. During these vulnerable years, it is Tapestri's job to ensure that said individuals are given the resources and tools necessary to combat these obstacles and become the best version of themselves possible.
Many children enrolled in our program feel an added burden of stress having been sent (often against their will) to the United States to "take care of their family". For example, often the children are expected to send American money back to their home countries to support their families given the strong exchange rate. This affects their schooling and opportunity for tertiary education and long-term success as they are stressed by financial burdens and guilt. We have noted that many children enrolled in our programs drop out or quit schooling in order to work and earn money, thereby jeopardizing their ability to further their education and success in the future. During FY19 alone, 16 of our UC cases were closed due to no contact with the sponsor and child for over 30 days. We suspect many of those cases were closed due to the minor seeking
employment to support their family in their country of origin. Through the UC Mentorship Program. We aim to ensure that our mentors guide these children in the right direction and show them the importance of education to encourage them to
complete their schooling whilst simultaneously building their confidence both academically and mentally.
Through established board and volunteers, we aim to create a strong group of mentors to guide our UC program. These mentors will be placed through a screening process to ensure anonymity and the safety of both the clients and the tutors. Said mentors will then receive a basic mentor training from a Tapestri Staff member. These individuals will be paired with a mentee who matches their interests and goals. It should be noted that we are aiming to create strong consistent relationships for our mentees hence a particular level of commitment is required from the mentor. This should be done in cultural, linguistic, and gender-sensitive ways. A comprehensive analysis by
a Tapestri staff member of each minor's specific needs vulnerabilities and capacities in each context is essential in order to provide for effective humanitarian and educational response. This initial staff analysis will establish if there are any practical, financial, physical, security-related, structural, institutional, or socio-cultural concerns that are preventing learners from participating in and completing a mentorship program. Therefore, an appropriate minimum level of access must be guaranteed in conjunction with enabling environments and measures to ensure regular attendance, motivation
completion and progression through said program.
We have established a connection with The Boy Scouts of America and aim to utilize this relationship to also create mentorship opportunities as well as establish friendships across similar age groups of refugees/immigrants and American youth. Thus, furthering both parties' knowledge of unfamiliar cultures whilst promoting inclusivity and friendship that does not discriminate. The life skills and mantra surrounding the Boy Scouts of America embodies the ethos of our mentorship program.


Cost Info
Our Mentorship Program has secured a small grant to begin our program outline and get the ball rolling. However in order to further our program to the extent we would like we are in need of securing further funding from grant opportunities. We are very much looking forward to reaching more students and adults enrolled in our programs.Student and Volunteer Success Stories
Quote from a support group: please note we have blocked out our employees name as she wishes to remain anonymous.
Thank you for the support group!! I truly feel that I have learned more from this support group than from individual therapy. I always saw myself as a victim but I can really see the change and growth in myself from the first session to now. I can see the difference in my mindset by doing the activities you encouraged us to do. Thank you for your help and understanding. Thank you for providing this safe platform for us. Thank you for your kind, KIND heart and for your never-ending compassion. You are an amazing person and a beautiful soul. Thank you for the way you speak to us and the patience you show in the group. I admire you a lot and I pray for your happiness and wellbeing. You made a mark on my heart. I am very blessed to have found Tapestri. Everyone I have spoken to there has been wonderful human beings. Please thank XX, and XY for me, as well. What a genuine soul XY is! She is so friendly and ready to help. XY was so helpful with getting my birth certificate and I appreciate her patience with me. And thank you to XX for everything she has done for my immigration case. I can't believe I went to the biometrics appointment all by myself and am a step closer. You will never know the extent of my gratefulness towards you ladies. Your help is really, truly changing my life. I pray God keeps you all well.
Education services
- Read and write better
- Find a family literacy program
- Help my child learn
- Learn English
- Improve my technology skills
- Volunteer at a program
- Become a U.S. citizen
Instruction Type
- Online
- Instruction in multiple languages