September 8, 2016 STU

---

Are you a first-year student? Apply to the Peer Mentoring Program

Are you a first-year student who is first in their immediate family to go to college, a student of color, or a student who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer? This program is for you!

The Peer Mentoring Program’s purpose is to create a caring mentoring partnership between current sophomores, juniors, and seniors (peer mentors) and first-year students (mentees). Peer mentors provide:

• Personalized one-on-one perspectives on how to cope with student-life issues.
• Helping skills to assist mentees’ development, confidence, and positive attitude about learning.
• Respect in mentees’ decisions about their education and learning process.
• Support and praise for mentees’ academic/social efforts rather than criticizing them.
• Plan events and social gatherings to build community.

Apply by visiting:
http://sites.jcu.edu/inclusion/pages/mentoring-program/mentee-application/

Note: All mentees need to attend the peer mentor/matching session this Saturday, September 10, 2016, from 12:30-2:00 p.m. in the LSC Conference Room in the D.J. Lombardo Student Center. Lunch will be provided.

Mentoring Program Details:

Who can be a mentee?
Any incoming first-year students can participate in the Peer Mentoring Program as “mentees.” Particular focus is made to recruit mentees who are first in their immediate families to go to college, students of color, LGBTQ+ students, and other historically underrepresented students. Students can apply to the program by visiting sites.jcu.edu/inclusion.

What is a mentee?
A mentee can be any incoming student who believes that they could benefit from a mentoring relationship. Mentees might want support in developing the necessary confidence needed to transition from high school to college. Mentees can also be students seeking peers to help them explore, develop and reinforce their cultural identity development through one-on-one meetings, campus lectures, cultural student organizations, etc. Lastly, mentees might also be students needing a peer to help them explore choices and decisions like major and minor options; on-campus employment; recreation; internships; careers; student organizations; student leadership; and service-learning opportunities.

When does participation in the program happen?
The Peer Mentoring Program is year-round. Incoming first-year students, “mentees,” need to apply to the program by visiting sites.jcu.edu/inclusion. Mentees need to be present for the matching session on Saturday, September 10, 2016.

Where does participation in the program happen?
The Peer Mentoring Program lives is sponsored by the Center for Student Diversity and Inclusion, located above the University Bookstore in the D.J. Lombardo Student Center. Mentees and their peer mentors are required to brainstorm, negotiate, and agree to the best dates, times, and manners to meet (i.e. in person, phone, text, etc.) with their mentees during the fall and spring semester.

What are the benefits of joining the Peer Mentoring Program?
New students benefit from participating in the Peer Mentoring Program in the following ways: improved grades from study tables; decreased probability of academic probation; reduced attrition; making important first connections on campus; bridging from parents to independence; access to peer advice; and gaining positive role models across a span of years.