When it comes to overcoming adversity and taking charge of their future, young people need positive role models.
A new partnership has set the stage to enrich the lives of thousands of young Calgarians by expanding the reach and impact of a well-established mentorship network in our city.
The University of Calgary and Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Calgary and Area have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, through which the community organization will gain a new pool of experienced mentors, with UCalgary alumni playing a key role.
Approximately 2,500 alumni already dedicate their time as mentors through formal mentorship programs, mainly on MentorLINC, a digital mentorship and career-development platform.
Formal partnership deepens community connections
"MentorLINC is a key connector for alumni and students who are looking for opportunities to give and receive support," says Kathleen Ralph, BFA'16, lead, Alumni Mentorship. "We are excited to work with BBBS to provide even more tools to our alumni mentors, ensuring their impact on the lives of other alumni, as well as potential future UCalgary students."
In formalizing a partnership with BBBS, members of the UCalgary community have opportunities to gain valuable volunteer and community experience. Students from a range of disciplines will also be able to advance their knowledge and skills through job shadowing and work integrated learning.
"Forming meaningful partnerships with community organizations is one way UCalgary deepens our connections and puts community at the centre of all we do, in alignment with our Ahead of Tomorrow strategic plan," says Melanie Hulsker, BA'00, MCS'06, UCalgary's senior director of Partnerships. "When we pool our strengths by working together, it produces greater results for the communities we serve than we could achieve on our own."
At a key time in it strategic growth, BBBS Calgary is excited to be partnering with UCalgary, says president and CEO Ken Lima-Coelho, BA'94.
"The alignment with what UCalgary is striving to achieve in the community through its Ahead of Tomorrow plan perfectly coincides with our ambition to support more young people through mentorship, provide even more meaningful volunteer opportunities to mentors and innovate how we serve by expanding our program offerings. All this makes UCalgary a truly great match, something we always strive for!"
Big Deal Card grants access to Dinos games
UCalgary and BBBS Calgary aim to give more young Calgarians a taste of post-secondary life through membership in the BBBS Big Deal Card program. This program offers a range of experiences, including attendance at UCalgary arts performances and sporting events such as Dinos games.
"I had so much fun it was my first time seeing a Dino's game! The energy of the crowd was amazing. I'd definitely love to go again," a young mentee said recently.
UCalgary will host several mentor/mentee pairs from BBBS at the Dinos' basketball games on Jan. 10.
With an eye towards the future, the collaboration will also result in research that benefits the youth of tomorrow, including studying the long-term impact of mentoring on developmental and personal relationships, socio-economic factors, behaviour and academic performance.
Dr. Brae Anne McArthur, PhD, director of the UCalgary Psychology Clinic in the Faculty of Arts, will lead this project, which is funded by a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Development Grant.
Members of the campus community who are interested in becoming mentors with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Calgary and Area may apply here. Community members seeking mentorship opportunities, networking and career development can sign up for UCalgary's MentorLINC platform here. Organizations interested in exploring partnerships with UCalgary are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Partnerships to discuss opportunities.
