MENTOR PREPARATION
INGREDIENTS
- Presentation (Slides 2 – 14)
- Video platform link (if online)
- Mentoring Tips Handout (optional, for extra flavor)
- Mentoring sheet for tracking progress
Purpose/Goal
To prepare mentors and give them advice on how to work with young people
Desired Outcomes
Understanding the value and concept of mentoring
Serving size:
one group of 20 to 30 people
Preparation time:
60 minutes
Cooking time:
30 minutes
INSTURCTIONS
STEP 1: WARM WELCOME & INTRODUCTION (5 MIN)
- Welcome mentors to the workshop
- Provide an overview of the hackathon’s purpose, the specific problem participants will tackle, and the role of mentors in this journey.
- Briefly describe the event structure and the age group of the hackathon participants (mentees), talk about the collaborative, hands-on approach.
STEP 2: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF A MENTOR (10 MIN)
- Begin with a few key questions to engage mentors:
- What does it mean to be a mentor?
- What are the core qualities of a good mentor?
- How does mentoring differ from leading a workshop?
- Use these questions to highlight the importance of active listening, guidance over instruction, and providing encouragement rather than direct solutions.
STEP 3: MENTORING ESSENTIALS & GUIDELINES (5 MIN)
Present the core principles of mentoring:
- Know Your Audience
- Recognise skill levels and experience within teams.
- Be challenging but always build participants up.
- Be optimistic.
- Active Listening & Inquiry
- Talk less, ask questions, and listen actively.
- Guide without controlling – allow participants to take ownership.
- Inspire by offering prompts and ideas.
- Help participants distinguish opinions from facts.
- Provide Space for Growth
- Resist the urge to over-direct and let participants reach out for help.
- Use open-ended questions to enable reflection and independence.
- Keep Teams on Track
- If a team feels stuck, gently guide them toward solutions, encouraging focus on real-world applications or “customers.”
- Remind them that time is a limited resource, so it’s important to use it wisely.
STEP 4: MENTORING LOGISTIC & COMMUNICATION (5 MIN)
- Describe how mentoring will function during the event (e.g., online breakout rooms, video calls, communication tools like Padlet, or a shared mentoring sheet).
- Outline the schedule, including structured mentoring sessions and any flexible times.
- Explain the mentoring sheet which mentors can use to track progress and guide discussions during each session.
STEP 5: Q&A AND EXPERIENCE SHARING (5 MIN)
- Open the floor for questions and invite mentors to share any experiences or concerns they might have.
Tips & Tricks
- Organise this mentor brief workshop just before the event begins or a few days in advance, allowing mentors to prepare.
- Each mentor should ideally work with up to 3 teams, dedicating about 20-30 minutes per session to each team. Over the event, mentors should plan for a maximum of 3 hours of mentoring.
- Consider having a short mentor debrief after each session to gather insights and adjust support.
- While mentors and teams have scheduled sessions, they can arrange additional time if both sides agree.
MENTORING SHEET EXAMPLE
