Invest in her journey
Become A Mentor!
GirlForward is seeking dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers for our Mentoring Program,
which matches women mentors with girls resettled through the refugee resettlement program.
As a mentor, you will be paired with a mentee in grades 9-12 and will meet with her for
at least two hours per week to talk about school, relationships, and careers, and to do fun
and engaging activities together. As a mentor, you will make a one-year commitment
to GirlForward and will receive trainings to prepare you for this role.
Applications for Chicago and Austin are OPEN!
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- Must identify as female
- Must be at least 21 years old
- Must have access to reliable transportation (public transit/car)
- Experience working with youth, tutoring, or mentoring preferred
- Fluency in English, knowledge of additional languages including Arabic, Pashto, Burmese and others highly preferred
- Must have a strong commitment to social justice and community engagement.
- Must believe in the practice of cultural humility and critically analyze their own identity, culture, power, and belief system in relation to the community and are comfortable talking about issues such as race, religion, culture, socioeconomic status, etc.
- Must believe in the power of adolescent girls to create positive change in their communities and the world!
- Women who identify as immigrants, refugees and/or women of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
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- Commit to 1:1 mentoring a high school girl for at least two hours per week for one year
- Meet with mentee to discuss subjects related to GirlForward’s Four W’s: Wellness, Wisdom, Wallet, World, as part of GirlForward’s Mentoring Program curriculum
- Must be an ally to GF girls and comfortable talking about issues such as race, religion, culture, socioeconomic status, academics, health, relationships, community engagement and others
- Set and work toward achieving goals with mentee
- Attend group mentoring trainings
- Communicate with mentee’s family and community
- Maintain communication with GirlForward staff
- Complete monthly mentor evaluations
- Be an active member of the GirlForward community
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1. Self-Guided Mentor Information Session + Application.
2. Mentor Interviews, Background Checks, References. If your application is accepted, you will be contacted by GirlForward staff to schedule a one hour virtual interview with GirlForward. Applicants that are accepted post interview are invited to complete a background check (cost is approximately $30) and submit 3 personal or professional references.
3. Mentor Decisions. Applicants who have been approved (application, interview, background check, and reference check), will be invited to volunteer as a mentor with GirlForward for the 2024-2025 school year. All mentors will be notified of acceptance to our Mentoring Program by June 30th.
4. Mentor Training.
5. Mentorship Orientation and Mentee Matching.
6. Home Visits with Mentor, Mentee, Family, and Program Manager.
Mentor in Chicago
Mentor in Austin
Follow these steps to become a mentor!
Watch the info session here
Submit your application. Applications are OPEN!
Link to the application is provided after you watch the information session!
Questions about the Chicago program?
E-mail Ira Jeanne at iraj@girlforward.org.
Saturday, July 19th - Mentor Training and Orientation
Saturday, Aug 23rd - Mentor and Mentee Kickoff
Follow these steps to become a mentor!
Watch the info session here
Submit your application. Applications are OPEN!
Link to the application is provided after you watch the information session!
Questions about the Austin program?
E-mail Becky at beckya@girlforward.org
Saturday, Aug 23rd - Training and Orientation
Saturday, Sept 6th - Mentor Kickoff Event