Jamaica Diaspora Mentorship Academy

The Jamaica Diaspora Mentorship Academy was soft launched in Jamaica at the 10th Biennial Global Jamaica Diaspora Conference in June 2024 and will be hard launch in September 2024.

Motto: Jamaica Diaspora Empowers Tomorrow; One mentee at a Time.

The Power of Mentorship

Have you ever had a mentor who guided you through the maze of life with a flashlight and a map, or have you been a mentor yourself, shedding light on the path for others?

Many of us are aware that holistic mentorship isn't just about knowledge sharing; it's about:

i) Building bridges over Troubled Waters

ii) Creating connections by giving a hand to hold onto when there are many rivers to cross.

iii) Cultivating confidence with a high-five when mentees reach their stated goals!

100 Diaspora Mentors and counting - Our Journey

In June 2023, in my capacity as Education sector lead for the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council, I shared a concept paper. The project envisaged 62 Jamaican youths, spanning grades 6 to 13 from all 14 parishes, being mentored holistically by 62 upstanding members of the diaspora. The mentees would be pulled by the Ministry of Education and Youth from the most vulnerable cohorts.

The mentors will conduct twelve 1-hour monthly sessions with their mentees over Teams or Zoom, an adult in the room at log on, over the course of one academic year. The mentees submit monthly deliverables based on their own personal development plans.

i) Quarterly best practices sharing mentor meets ups with speakers from on the ground in Jamaica.

ii) Monthly randomized check-ins with mentees, their parents/guardians and contact teacher.

iii) 3 all-hands academy-wide events (Christmas Party, Easter Party, Graduation/prize Giving Ceremony)

Mentors Far & Wide

After approval from the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, a call-for-mentors was launched. Today we are excited to inform you that 90 respondents heeded the call.

I have already met with 95% of these potential mentors on one-hour Zoom calls and can tell you that they are upstanding, inspiring, amazing Jamaicans (or friends of Jamaica), who are amped and fired up to give back to Jamaican children. From New York to Dubai, from the Netherlands to Canada, from China to Luxembourg, to the Caribbean - our mentors, span regions, generations, and professions (legal professionals, teachers across all echelons of academia, medical professionals, business owners, consultants, PhD candidates, media professionals, Scientists….).

We also have on board:

i) The VMFoundation, which has offered a grant to get the ball a-rolling,

ii)The Sandal Corporate university has given us access to their very sleek certified online mentorship training kits as well as certified training for our mentees.

iii) A partnership with the Lifelong Leadership Institute in Toronto, Canada - will roll out a peer mentorship programme with us in the Fall, with the potential of sponsoring a contingent of mentees to visit Canada at the end of the partnership. That is being ironed out.

Call to Action & Q&A

The Jamaica Diaspora Mentorship Academy is offering you a tangible avenue to contribute to building a brighter future for our youths, one mentee at a time. So, let's roll up our sleeves and make history together!

This is a movement. So, please now is the time to step up and be counted!

Specifically, we are requesting corporate and private assistance with the following:

1) Scholarships/gift vouchers/baskets for the highest achieving “gold, silver and bronze star” mentees;

2) devices / phone plans for students from marginalized households

3) Participant badges / certificates for our volunteer mentors (community bonding/building)

4) Funding / expertise for a website building and maintenance.

5) Seeking more mentors and recommendations for mentees and partner schools

6) A Zoom licence to host over 100 participants

All donors who leave their contact details will be:

i) Invited to our quarterly mentor meetups

ii) Invited to our Christmas, Easter and Graduation events

iii) Receive a response to their questions about the academy within 48 hours

Thank you