BIPOC Alumni-Student Mentoring Program

Mentoring is a strategy that crosses settings and timelines in an educator’s career, as several studies have connected mentorship and retention in the profession. For BIPOC educators in the field, connections with colleagues and mentorship have proven particularly important as they navigate job demands and role ambiguity. These relationships and subsequent mentorship can help ensure an educator's commitment to the field, which has the potential for long-term impact and change to the profession.

The BIPOC Alumni-Student Mentoring Program provides up to 25 undergraduates in EHD each fall with individual guidance and support from alumni educators as they navigate the early stages of their program and/or career. This program was created with BIPOC students in mind. The program’s goals are centered on improving undergraduates’ program experiences, career opportunities, and retention through pairing learners with alumni mentors. Through this sustained engagement, mentors will establish individualized relationships with their mentees, engaging in activities such as observation, feedback, co-planning, and skill refinement. The program is open to mentors and mentees of all races, ethnicities, and national origins.

Please check back in the summer of 2025 for next year's program opportunity.

This program is made possible by the generosity of the UVA Parents Program and is overseen by EHD's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (ODEI).

Program Details

The inaugural program participants will begin in the fall of 2024. 

Mentor/mentee pairs will commit to meeting monthly (either in-person or on Zoom), facilitated by prompts and mentorship materials. Through this sustained engagement, mentors will establish individualized relationships with their mentees, and engage in activities such as observation, feedback, co-planning, and skill refinement. 

The mentoring program is an opportunity for our BIPOC alumni, as well as ally alumni and all other alumni interested in facilitating an inclusive experience, to share opportunities with students while reducing barriers that prevent them from entering and remaining in the K-12 teacher and educator pipeline.

  • August 2024: Initial program meeting kickoff (in person)
  • January 2025: Mid-year program meeting/check-in and assessment (in person)
  • May 2025: End-of-year program meeting/closing (in person)
  • Mid-June 2025: Program evaluation and assessment and mentor recruitment (online survey) and retention and training for the second year of the pgoram

Please check back in the summer of 2025 for next year's program opportunity.

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