After huge success last year, Dare to Be mentoring gets ready to launch for the new academic year.
What is Dare to Be?
Dare to Be is a mentoring scheme open to all DMU students. It aims to improve student confidence, self-belief and motivation. At the heart of the scheme is a focus on attainment – doing well in your studies.
While all DMU students can participate in Dare to Be, the scheme is part of DMU's Freedom to Achieve project aimed at addressing the attainment gap for students from a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. Students from a BAME background are therefore particularly encouraged to participate.
Dare to Be also aims to enhance a mentor’s understanding of the issues facing our students and provide a way for the mentor to share their experiences and provide guidance to mentees. In this way, mentoring is seen to be mutually beneficial.
A perfect match
Our Dare to Be mentors include DMU staff, Alumni and Honorands and come from a wide range of disciplines and careers. Our mentors have a wealth of expertise, skills and knowledge to share.
Considerable time is taken to match mentor and mentee. We take into account the key skills or issues to be explored and developed, expressed by the mentee on their application form. We then match them to the skills description provided by mentors on their application form.
We are hopeful that the matching process successfully aligns both the skills, interests and experience of mentor and mentee allowing them to develop a mutually beneficial and productive mentoring relationship.
Why take part?
Dare to Be 2017/18 was a huge success. We made 79 mentoring matches and 96% of participants stated that they would recommend D2B to a friend or colleague.
Below is a snapshot of some of our mentee comments taken from the midpoint and end of scheme online survey:
“I can confidently say that it has developed all the skills I initially wanted to develop. My mentor has been amazing. Very supportive!” (D2B mentee 2017/18)
“I’m realising there is nothing wrong in looking for help.” (D2B mentee 2017/18)
“I feel like mentoring made me look for answers to questions I wasn’t thinking about before.” (D2B mentee 2017/18)
What is involved?
As a mentee, you will take part in training and group mentoring before being matched with a mentor. You will agree suitable times to meet each month and will work with each other through the course of the academic year.
The scheme formally closes in June 2019 at the end of the summer term.
How do I take part?
If you would like to take part, please complete and submit an online application form.
Once we receive the completed form, the Dare to Be team will be in touch with details of upcoming mentee training dates.
The closing date for applications is Friday 23November 2018.
For more information and to submit an application, visit the web page at:
www.dmu.ac.uk/D2B
Posted on Tuesday 16 October 2018