Be a Mentor!
Between the ages of 18-28 and want to meet a Nobel Peace Laureate?
What is a PeaceJam Mentor?
Volunteers ages 18-28 work in pairs as mentors to high school students during the two-day PeaceJam Youth Conference. Mentors have the unique once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to interact with a Nobel Peace Laureate for an entire weekend. With this honor, comes great responsibility. Mentors work with youth from Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio at the conference; guiding them through difficult, mature, and controversial conversations. It is your job as mentors to show students that a more peaceful life is possible. Therefore, we spend a considerable amount of time training and preparing our mentors during the months before our conference.
Each mentor works with a mentor partner, and together you will facilitate a “family group” of between 10-15 high school students. Mentors are selected to be as diverse as possible, and you will likely work with someone who is very different from you in a variety of ways. For most mentors, being a PeaceJam mentor is a life-changing experience. This process is different for everyone, and it would be a shame if we spoiled it for you by telling you exactly what you’re in for (so we will leave it at that)!
So, what is PeaceJam?
PeaceJam is an international education program that brings young people together with Nobel Peace Prize winners, inspiring them to address the world’s greatest problems. The goal of PeaceJam is to inspire a new generation of leaders who will transform themselves, their communities, and the world. Great Lakes PeaceJam is an affiliate of the international PeaceJam Foundation and is housed at Seeding Change, a non-profit organization based in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
What is a Youth Conference?
The Great Lakes PeaceJam Youth Conference is an annual 2-day event where youth from across the Great Lakes region gather to complete service-learning projects, participate in workshops, and spend the weekend with a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. This remarkable weekend is the capstone event for students participating in the PeaceJam Ambassadors high school program. Mentors are an integral part of the Youth Conference experience.
How much time is involved in mentoring?
1) Information Session @Kalamazoo College: (February 7th 8-9pm in Chrissy Hall, Basement)
2) Information Session @WMU: (Feb 21st 8-9pm in Bernhard Center, Room 213)
3) Submit an application to Great Lakes PeaceJam by March 1; Applications available at http://greatlakespeacejam.org/node/186
4) Attend the MANDATORY TRAINING RETREAT: Saturday March 31st, 8:30am-6pm (Location TBD)
5) Attend the MANDATORY FINAL TRAINING: Thursday, April 19th, 6-10pm, Bernhard Center, Brown & Gold Room
6) OPTIONAL: (Rigoberta Public Talk & Reception: April 20th 7:00pm TBD)
7) PEACEJAM CONFERENCE: (Saturday April 21st 7:00am – 8:30pm, & Sunday, April 22nd 8:00am – 4:30)