GoTheDistance Mentorship Program

 Youth Rising Above’s GoTheDistance Mentorship Program is a 6-month, one-to-one mentoring program that offers opportunities to youth ages of 16 and 24, to receive thoughtful and authentic guidance in the areas of Career Development, Education, or Life Skills! In keeping with Youth Rising Above’s mission to provide young people with the opportunity to live wholesome, successful and enriching lives, this program will propel mentees to set personal goals; network with dedicated mentors; and discuss ways in which they can maximize their growth, knowledge, and positive development; while leading to increased overall success and well-being. 

 All mentors and mentees will begin by attending a meet-and-greet to connect with their mentors, learn more about the program, and start setting goals together. Following the c session, mentees will meet with their mentors for a minimum of 2 hours a month (for 6 months) to allow for regular communication and tracking of action plans or goals. Mentors and mentees will be encouraged to set their own meeting schedule, which can include video calls, in addition to in-person meetings in a public space, according to Public Health Guidelines, and when authorized by program staff. Some mentors may provide further opportunities to their mentees, after checking in with GTD staff. Mentees will attend two mandatory professional development events, and have the option to attend three drop-in social engagement events over the course of the program. Mentors will attend two mandatory orientation events at the beginning of the program, and mentorship peer huddles with program staff. Mentors and mentees will be required to inform GTD program staff of the times and dates of their meetings, and submit an initial, midpoint and final reflection journal. The GTD team will be available at your service to ensure a smooth mentoring relationship and to support you along the way. At the end of the program, a graduation ceremony will be held to celebrate the success of your mentoring relationships!

 While the GoTheDistance Mentorship Program welcomes all young people, our organization’s primary mandate is to support marginalized youth populations (newcomers; youth with disabilities; youth experiencing homelessness; youth involved with the legal system; Indigenous youth; Black youth; youth of colour/racialized youth; youth identifying with the LGBTQ2S+ community; youth from low socio-economic environments; youth with little to no work experience; youth experiencing barriers to education and, youth exiting the child welfare system) between the ages of 16-24. This program is for youth who want to be mentored specifically in Career Development, Education, or Life Skills.

 Given that this is a one-to-one mentoring program with limited space, GoTheDistance is accepting 10 mentors and 10 youth per cohort. Mentors and youth must apply at the bottom of this page; spots are not guaranteed.  

 GoTheDistance Mentors are experts in either Career Development, Education, or Life Skills, have experience in their respective fields, and are looking to contribute to the lives of Toronto youth and meaningful community development work. All GoTheDistance mentors will attend two mandatory orientation events, and will pass a thorough selection process including interviews and a vulnerable sector screening police check. Mentors will be matched with mentees based on youth’s indicated interest in either of the aforementioned scopes of mentorship, lived experience, interests, geographical location, and other applicable areas.

 In order to ensure the successful completion of our program for all mentees, transit tokens will be provided to mentees if meetings might occur in-person – it will be the mentor’s and mentee’s responsibility to confirm in-person meetings with GTD program staff well in advance. Mentees who complete the full 6-month mentorship program, attend two mandatory professional development events, and submit reflections every two months will also receive a $200 honorarium, certificate, and reference letter at the end of the program.