Ementoring
What is ementoring?
Ementoring gives people the chance to get one-to-one support and advice from a volunteer independent of their ordinary life. Our projects use a ‘near to peer’ approach based on our users’ interests and experience. Young people are connected with volunteer mentors from universities or a range of professional backgrounds, who can support them into further or higher education or the world of work.
Mentors and mentees communicate via a secure, online space, at a time and place that suits them. Brightside’s unique web platform also offers extra online content and high security, ensuring that mentees and mentors are safe, supported and engaged.
These features include:
- A secure conversation space which enables mentors to have confidential discussions with their mentees.
- Customisable homepages from which mentors and mentees navigate through the site, providing easy access to messages, resources and activities in one place.
- Over 1,000 news stories and resources in our regularly updated online Bright Knowledge library.
- Coaching activities developed in collaboration with students and advisers, designed to build key skills such as time management, study techniques, money management and confidence.
- Activity reports make it easy for co-ordinators to assess and monitor engagement.
Brightside also offer ongoing support for partners throughout every stage of our ementoring projects, from development and delivery to evaluation. Our small, dedicated team provide:
- training sessions and materials for mentors and mentees
- ongoing monitoring, moderation and technical support project management,
- implementation and evaluation support
- web content
Our projects are run in partnership with universities, local authorities and partners from the voluntary and corporate sectors. Partners can subscribe to our Bright Links ementoring service, or develop a customised project with us. Brightside also create ementoring projects for specific career interests and target groups. Find out more by clicking below.
Brightside's flagship ementoring programme connects 14-19 year olds with undergraduate mentors or professionals who can help them explore their options for higher education, and provide advice on student finance and other aspects of university life.
Customised ementoring projects
Brightside can develop branded websites for your specific project or organisation. Customising your site allows you to integrate ementoring into your brand and enhance your users' experience through a range of additional content and functionality.
Brightside's subject-specific ementoring creates links between school pupils who are interested in a specific career, and an undergraduate or professional working or studying in that area.
Brightside are experienced in running projects designed to reach and provide targeted support for specific groups such as student parents or children in care.
Getting involved
If you’re a university, corporate partner or organisation looking to start ementoring, we’d love to discuss running an ementoring project with you. If you’d like to join our ementoring network, then you can register to become a mentor or a mentee.