Many of us have been lucky enough to have had a supervisor, coach, or teacher who has been a mentor and made a positive difference in our lives. Our mentors have worn many hats, acting as advocates, cheerleaders, role models, delegators, policy enforcers and friends. Are you ready to pass it on and have a hand in shaping the upcoming leaders of family planning?
The ICFP Youth Sub-committee and 120 Under 40: The New Generation of Family Planning Leaders are looking for mentors to guide youth conference delegates leading up to and during the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP)!
This is a great opportunity to get to know youth in the field and equip them to overcome the challenges in their communities regarding access to contraception, SRHR, and family planning services, information and supplies. It’s also a great opportunity to learn from those younger than you; this is meant to be a two-way relationship, with learning happening on both sides. This year’s ICFP expects 300-500 impressive youth participants under the age of 26 who are dedicated to creating a world in which everyone has access to family planning.
What does it mean to be a mentor?
Before the conference (approx. 2 hour commitment):
- Get to know your mentee(s) by having two conversations with them leading up to the conference. This can be over Skype, via a phone call or in person. Learn what they’re interested in and share your experiences with them!
- ICFP can be overwhelming with multiple competing concurrent sessions, side events, and opportunities. Have a conversation with your mentee(s) about what they want to achieve during and after the conference, and help them create a schedule or a priorities list, or a set of SMART goals, to manage the many opportunities and events.
During the Youth Pre-conference and Main Conference (approx. 3 hour commitment):
- Attend an introductory event, time TBD (before the Opening Plenary on November 12th at 4:30 pm) at the Youth Pre-Conference to meet your mentee(s) in person.
- Examine the conference program and make strategic suggestions for youth mentee attendance at sessions of interest.
- Attend a session or plenary together, share feedback and debrief afterwards.
Post Conference (approx. 2 hour commitment):
- Provide feedback on post-conference plans and goals by having two conversations with your mentee(s) over the two months following the conference (December and January).
- Provide feedback to mentorship organizing committee post ICFP, likely in the form of a survey, so that we can improve mentorship activities for future ICFPs.
Am I qualified to be a mentor?
To be a mentor, you must:
- Be registered to attend ICFP (there is no financial support to attend the conference available for mentors)
- Have 5+ years of professional experience
- Be comfortable sharing your experiences, network, and knowledge
- Feel open learning from your mentee — this is a mutual learning experience
- Meet the time commitments detailed above before, during, and after the conference
How do I sign up?
To sign-up, fill out the Google form found here. It will take approximately 5 minutes and will ask you questions about your areas of expertise and interests. This will help us match you up with mentee(s) that have similar interests and communication styles.
What’s Next?
Selected participants will be contacted and asked to confirm their availability and commitment by 5 September 2018.
The ICFP Youth Mentoring Program will launch with a short webinar about the mentoring program along with a comprehensive program description and instruction e-packet by late September.
Please share among your networks. If you have any questions or comments, please email info@fpconference.org
Know a youth delegate interested in being matched with a mentor? Or would you like to be a mentee?
Please direct any potential mentees to our mentee application form found here.
