Mentorship Program
Elder Mentors (Community Elders and Senior Members)
Elders within the organization act as wisdom keepers, offering guidance, life experiences, and insights on resilience and self-discovery. They provide valuable mentorship to Squad Leads, staff, and older teen girls, focusing on community, life skills, and the essence of Black heritage.
Squad Leaders (Young Adult Mentors)
Serving as bridge-builders, Squad Leads mentor younger interns and girls in programming. They provide peer-support training, organize workshops, and assist in planning events. Their mentorship emphasizes leadership skills, self-empowerment, and practical life skills.
Interns, COLLEGIATE BOARD (COLLEGE)
Interns, being closer in age to the younger girls, help mentor participants in programming, sharing experiences and advice. They gain professional skills and confidence in mentoring while supporting younger peers with schoolwork, social skills, and activities, under the guidance of Squad Leads and elder mentors.
Junior Squad Leaders
Girls N BLOOM (Ages 8–12) SISTAS N BLOOM (13-18)
The girls receive peer mentoring from interns and Squad Leads, fostering community support, confidence, and interpersonal skills. They also have occasional meet-and-greets with elder mentors, emphasizing the generational link in their community.
“In order to be a mentor, and an effective one, one must care. You must care. You don’t have to know how many square miles are in Idaho, you don’t need to know what the chemical makeup is…of blood or water. Know what you know and care about the person, care about what you know and care about the person you’re sharing with.”
— Dr. Maya Angelou
Why Mentorship?
Mentorship is an important component of Bloom Upstate that provides the perfect environment for girls to thrive. Mentors provide the child with the opportunity to be involved in healthy thriving relationships and create positive bonds. It also affords the chance for the young girls to look past their present situation.
These relationships make all the difference. There are infinite possibilities when a child has a vested adult who they can depend on.
Bloom Upstate matches girls ages 9 – 18 with mature professional mentors to help the young women blossom.
Qualities of an effective mentor
- Time to invest in mentoring
- Compassion and an authentic interest in youth
- At a minimum, the ability to fulfill at two-year commitment
- Supportive