Intercultural Mentorship Program

About the Program

Intercultural communication is becoming increasingly important in today’s global environment where personal and professional success implies the ability to communicate across cultures and to draw from all perspectives, experiences and worldviews. This ability to see beyond one’s own culture promotes empathy for others while encouraging a degree of critical thinking about one’s own cultural position.

The Intercultural Mentorship Program looks at offering students and staff opportunities to make friends, learn about other cultures, develop awareness of own cultural lens, strengthening the sense of community and creating a welcoming and inclusive campus. It is an experiential program, i.e. “learning by doing”, engaging participants in intercultural interactions, encouraging reflection and critical thinking and enhancing or developing skills or new ways of thinking, and contributing to Community Engagement Service Learning.

This program is a one-on-one Local-Global Partnership, where an immigrant/international student is matched with a Canadian-raised student or staff for intercultural exchange, practice of communication skills and friendship over the course of a term. It is also an opportunity for participants to practice their leadership skills, to collaborate in establishing goals and planning activities as well as exploring Winnipeg together. And…most importantly: have fun!

Timelines and requirements:

  • Time commitment: 10 hours over the course of a term.
  • The program runs twice per year at the start of the fall and the winter academic terms.
  • You will remain in contact with your partner over the term.
  • Students from all academic programs can apply.
  • The program is a voluntary opportunity. However, some academic programs also partner to offer the Intercultural Mentorship Program as a graded assignment option to students.

What is Mentorship?

Mentorship is a special relationship that brings people together in an intentional, voluntary relationship. This relationship usually takes place between a person who has lived through a specific experience and a person who is new to that experience. In the Intercultural Mentorship Program, we believe that each mentor partner has lived through specific, unique experiences and we ask that you share your experience and perspective, whether Local or Global with your mentor partner. Because you may have had a different cultural experience growing up, there is much to learn from one another about how you were raised, what your life has been like, and how you view the world. Genuine interest and curiosity as well as a willingness to share are therefore essential qualities of a Mentor Partner.

Good mentoring requires time and commitment and a willingness to act as a positive role model who will create a safe spaces for insightful conversations to occur.

Students from all academic programs can apply.

Commitment is 10 hours of time over the course of a term. The program runs twice a year and starts at the beginning of the fall and the winter academic terms.

The program is a voluntary opportunity. However, some academic programs also partner to offer the Intercultural Mentorship Program as a graded assignment option to students.

The roll out for Term 2, 2019-20 is as follows:

  • Applications by: January 20, 2020
  • Attend orientation by: February 7, 2020
  • Complete meeting hours by: March 31, 2020
  • Complete reflection survey and meeting log by: March 31, 2020
  • Optional Award Application due: March 31, 2020

Making a World of Difference Award

Upon the successful completion of the Intercultural Mentorship Program, mentors can apply for the Making a World of Difference Award.

Apply Today

Thank you for your interest in becoming a Mentor Partner. We hope to inspire you to look at life through someone else’s perspective, to challenge your own assumptions, to apply critical thinking and become more knowledgeable and sensitive interculturally and to enhance your overall experience at Red River College and in Winnipeg!

If you are willing to be a good mentor, wanting to develop your power skills, and are available for 10 during the course of the term, then this program is for you!

Intercultural Mentorship Program

Basic Information

(10 Digits - For example: 204-487-7020)
(10 Digits - For example: 204-487-7020)
Address
City
State/Province
Zip/Postal
(For Example: 0205048)

Program Diversity

The following questions are optional but they will help us to make the best matches possible. Please note that the purpose of this program is friendship and support and we do not match for dating purposes.
You may be matched with someone who is very different than you – this is part of what makes the program so valuable, and it is how we learn about others! As a result, you may be matched with someone who is a different:

- Culture than you
- Religion than you
- Gender identity than you
- Age than you
- Marital status than you
- Sexual orientation than you
- Physical or mental ability than you

If you have concerns about being paired up with someone who is part of one of the groups listed above, please contact the Mentorship Program Coordinator at imp@rrc.ca or 204-632-3847.

Matching and Support

Course Credit

The Intercultural Mentorship Program has partnered with various academic programs so that you can transfer your learning from the Intercultural Mentorship Experience towards course credit.

Other

Permissions

This final section requests your agreement and permission in 4 areas. Please read the following carefully! YOU MUST READ AND CLICK ALL 4 BOXES BELOW IF YOU AGREE.