What are my lessons supposed to look like?
The most important part of mentoring is the relationship you form with your student. As you get to know them more, you will be able to understand what they struggle with and what would be more beneficial for them. You can also find resources at the “Knowledge Library” on Workplace which you can use during your sessions.
What should I do in my first session?
During your first session, we encourage you to get to know your mentee. You can use icebreaker activities to help them open up to you and we also recommend you to open up to your mentee in order to create a more comfortable environment.
What do I do when I need to miss a session?
Message your program director on Workplace minimum 24 hours before the session as kids sacrifice their time either by walking for long hours to get to the school or by staying longer after school. In case you need to miss a session, please send a personalized activity for the kid to complete during the session time on the computer.
How long are the mentor sessions supposed to be?
Mentor sessions are scheduled to be an hour long. However, if after 45 minutes or so you feel that the session has reached a natural break, you may conclude early.
What do I do when no one is showing up in my session?
Message the program director on Workplace and check Workplace for information related to possible issues that can affect the sessions. Please wait for 15 minutes in case there is a network connection and they are unable to respond. If no one showed up for your session, you can work with your program director to temporarily reschedule the session that week so that your mentee is still able to get that weekly session. If you are not able to reschedule that week, just continue showing up for your future sessions at the same time.
How can I reschedule my session time permanently?
Reach out to your mentor advisor and let them know that you would like to be unbooked because you are going to reschedule your session. Once you are unbooked, you can reschedule a new session time by following these steps:
- Please follow this link to sign in on the Village Portal: https://portal.villagebookbuilders.org/signin. Use your village mentor address to do so.
- Select the “Booking a Session” button in the left column.
- Fill out the information, selecting your current program/library.
- Select day and time
- Submit the booking request
This booking time will be pending until the program director can find out if your mentee can also make it at that time. If the available times do not work for you, post on your Workplace group to see if anyone with the time you are wanting can switch with you.
What do I do when I am not able to continue mentoring?
Make sure your mentee has enough time to have closure with you and anticipate your leaving. After this, let your mentor advisor know so they can unbook you from the session. You will always be welcomed back; however, we cannot guarantee that you will be paired with the same student.
If you are part of a chapter, please find a member that can become your mentee’s new mentor so that the transition is easier for that child. Share what you worked on, the progress the child has made, the interest the child has, etc.
How do I share feedback or issues I am encountering?
If it is related to technical issues, please email support@villagebookbuilders.org.
Can I talk to my mentee outside of my session?
No. At the time, we do not have safety measures in place to monitor these interactions. It is possible that we will have a system in the future, but at this time we don’t. This is mainly to prevent you from being in uncomfortable situations. Ex: Mentee’s family asking you for money or other requests that we do not expect you to take on. You can still travel with VBB to your mentee’s village and get to know them in person!
What do I do if I have technical issues during my session?
You can find the feedback form link in your sessions’ invitation. Submit that form and we will be able to help you straighten things up before your next session.
My friend wants to mentor, can they be in my program?
Most likely yes. It depends on their schedule and if the program has more students needing a mentor. Have them submit an application on the following link and in the introduction video they can specify which program they want to be a part of:
How can I get approval of my service hours?
If you would like an official certificate, let us know. If you need us to approve it, send us an email.
Does VBB do letters of recommendation for mentors?
No, but we can send you a certificate with your total hours upon request.
What do I do if my student is not showing up consistently?
You are supposed to be with only one student each time, if that is not your experience please reach out to your mentor advisor so that they can work with the program director to fix that.
What is the duration of my mentoring commitment?
In order for mentoring to have a long term impact, the minimum time is six months; however, we encourage you to stay on as long as you can.
Do I need to mentor during my summer break?
Each program has different breaks or holidays for that country in which you are not expected to mentor; most programs do not have more than two week breaks. If you know which weeks you will be gone, please let your program director know and make sure to submit work for those weeks for your student to complete while you are gone.
What are my lessons supposed to look like?
The most important part of mentoring is the relationship you form with your student. As you get to know them more, you will be able to understand what they struggle with and what would be more beneficial for them. You can also find resources at the “Knowledge Library” on Workplace which you can use during your sessions.