Training

Book a training course

Contact Tamice Spencer-Helms, our Learning Facilitator/Curriculum Developer at tamice@mentorva.org for more information or to book a training course/workshop.

If you do not see the training you want to bring to your mentors, MENTOR Virginia provides custom training offerings upon request.

Training Programs for Mentors

Mentoring Mindset

Mentoring Mindset: Enhancing Communication, Establishing Boundaries, and Building Relationships is designed to help participants understand the role of communication in mentoring relationships as well as to teach active listening techniques to enhance understanding and build trust. Mentoring Mindset instructs on asking open-ended questions to promote reflection and self-awareness and provides strategies for giving constructive feedback in a supportive and non-judgmental manner. It also teaches strategies for effective communication in challenging situations.

Building Resilience and Empowerment in Youths

Building Resilience and Empowerment is a workshop designed to instruct about the benefits of a Growth Mindset and gives strategies for cultivating a Growth Mindset and examples of how it can be applied. The workshop also instructs about Positive Youth Development, its strategies, and how to address systemic inequalities and promote social justice. Additionally, Building Resilience and Empowerment expands on trauma-informed care, its benefits, and strategies for implementation.

Connect | Focus | Grow

The Connect | Focus | Grow training was developed as part of the National Mentoring Project, a pilot project managed by MENTOR in partnership with America’s Promise Alliance/Center for Promise, and with support from the Schultz Family Foundation. The National Mentoring Project aims to expand the web of quality relationship support and social capital that youth need to develop the skills necessary to successfully navigate the workplace, including securing and sustaining employment.

New Mentor Training

New Mentor Training allows new mentors to review effective mentoring techniques and frameworks. MENTOR Virginia utilizes a specialized curriculum that combines the latest research in mentoring and best practices in youth development to teach participants the role of a mentor in a young person’s life and relationship-building techniques as well as stages of relationship development. The New Mentor Training is designed to instruct new mentors on how to communicate effectively with young people while setting boundaries and to learn about trauma-informed practices in mentoring. Register for the webinar here.

Everyday Mentoring

MENTOR Virginia partnered with The Mentoring Partnership of Southwest Pennsylvania to bring Everyday Mentoring®, an effective curriculum and toolkit for adults looking to positively impact young adults in their lives. This training is designed for anyone who interacts regularly with young people, from teachers and sports coaches, to parents/caregivers and crossing guards. Everyday Mentoring® aims to prepare adults to help youth feel known, recognized, cared for, and supported. Register for the webinar here.

Collaborative Mentoring

Collaborative Mentoring is a series of webinars hosted and facilitated by MENTOR National. Each month, mentoring experts deliver webinars on a variety of topics, such as mentoring best practices, new field resources, and the latest mentoring research.Register for a webinar here

Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring Workshop Series

The Elements of Effective Practice (EEP) is a workshop series designed for mentoring program professionals or volunteers who are involved in mentoring program operations. On an annual basis, MENTOR Virginia offers a free 8-part interactive workshop series on the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring, which are the research-informed and practitioner-approved standards for creating and sustaining quality youth mentoring programs and impactful mentoring relationships.

Each workshop is designed to cover a critical component of mentoring program design, operation, and evaluation. See below:

  • Part 1: Designing & Planning Mentoring Programs
  • Part 2: Recruiting Mentors & Mentees
  • Part 3: Screening Mentors & Mentees
  • Part 4: Training Mentors & Mentees
  • Part 5: Making Effective Mentor & Mentee Matches
  • Part 6: Monitoring & Supporting Matches
  • Part 7: Closing Mentor/Mentee Matches
  • Part 8: Evaluating Mentoring Programs

Participants who attend all eight of the live workshops in the series will earn a certificate. We also have an assessment process that will allow those who were unable to attend all eight live workshop sessions to remain eligible to earn the series certificate.

Additional Training Available Upon Request

MENTOR Virginia offers customized training programs for mentors on a range of topics, including:

  • Best Practices for E-mentoring
  • Virtual Engagement & Safety in E-mentoring
  • Trauma-Informed Mentoring
  • Positive Youth Development
  • Social-Emotional Learning in Mentoring
  • Racial Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion in Mentoring
  • How to Talk About Race & Equity with Mentees
  • Combatting White Saviorism in Mentoring
  • The Four Pivots
  • Mentoring LGBTQ+ Youth
  • Mentoring Refugee/Newcomer Youth
  • Mentoring Youth Impacted by Opioid Use and Misuse Training
  • Youth-Initiated Mentoring
  • Self-Advocacy
  • Growth Mindset
  • Becoming a Better Mentor

Fee Schedule

A typical training session costs $325-$600 for nonprofits; $350-$750 for government agencies, schools, and universities; and $1,000 for for-profit companies.

Bundling Discounts

For programs that wish to book more than one training service through MENTOR Virginia in 6 months or a given calendar year, we offer a bundling discount. The first training purchased is at regular cost, and any additional training can be bundled for 50% of their regular cost. Please note that for any bundle, the full-cost training service will be the one that has the highest regular price. The bundling discount is not available for for-profit companies. If your program has a need for training services but knows pricing will be a barrier, please email Tamice to learn more about your training options.