About the Program
How it Works
Influence is a collaborative organization whose goals are to create better opportunities for Indigenous post-secondary students, and to create opportunities for mentors to raise their awareness of Indigenous issues, culture, and history. The Influence Mentoring program is a new initiative aimed at building capacity, talent, and career opportunities for eligible Indigenous students, who are committed to achieving their career goals.
This innovative program is ONLINE and allows for any Indigenous post-secondary student to participate in the mentoring program from anywhere in Canada. Protégés simply fill in an online form that details who they are, what school they attend, and what their field of study is. Students will be matched to the most suitable Mentor who has a shared field of work to the student’s program of studies. The foundation of the program is the mentor-protégé relationship and the ongoing connections that grow this relationship. Mentors and Protégés each go through this matching process to ensure the mentor can provide a personalized and tailored approach for their protégé.
Who is Eligible?
While Influence seeks to be as inclusive as possible, there are some eligibility requirements to become a protégé. You must be:
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Indigenous: This includes those of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and Non-Status descent.
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Student: Candidates must be enrolled in post-secondary education during the time of the internship.
Age will not be a barrier to join the program and the
post-secondary institution attended, or program studied, will have no direct bearing on candidacy.
In addition to the above criteria, candidates must demonstrate personal initiative, a commitment to achieving their goals, and a commitment to career advancement.
Program Elements
The Influence Mentoring program is in the initial phase of its development. During the pilot program, Influence will match a small number of protégés and mentors. Once the program has fully launched, Influence will aim to include as many participants as possible.
Program elements include a kickoff Boot camp event for both protégés and mentors. The event will include a program introduction, expectation setting, and tips on how to create a successful partnership between mentor and protégé.
Future elements will include workshops, group events, networking events, and an annual wrap-up event for all participants in the program for that year. Details on these elements will be provided at the beginning of each mentorship year.
What is the Commitment?
The official length of each mentoring match is approximately one year. This provides enough time for a significant impact on the lives of both participants. However, it is the hope of Influence that the mentor/protégé relationships created through this program will become long-term connections that are rewarding for both people.
