| All the successful people I have ever known have | | | | already have and those that youneed to complete |
| had a mentor atsome point in their life, someone | | | | the project. |
| who taught them and encouragedthem to take risks | | | | A good mentor can accommodate different learning |
| with new experiences. I owe a great deal tothe | | | | styles andabilities. The self-directed learners take off |
| mentors in my life - Richard Ford, Krissy Jackson, Julie | | | | at their own pace,once they've been given a start. |
| Huntand more! | | | | The ones that need a little or alot of coaching get |
| I've also worked closely with kids as a mentor. Here's | | | | what they need because the mentor has time togive |
| a bit ofhistory: I spent my high school and university | | | | it. When I work with large groups, I just move from |
| years working as amentor in an Emerging | | | | group togroup as the students work, judging the |
| Technologies Program. When I work withkids, I use | | | | emotional tone of theunit and giving encouragement |
| just one basic principle: I never do anything forthem | | | | or guidance as required. |
| that they could do for themselves. I act as a | | | | Where are you going to get it? |
| resource andwork to wake kids up to their passions. | | | | Once you know what you have and know what you |
| I cannot give thempassion, and I do not give them | | | | need, the next taskis to figure out how to access |
| any answers. They must findpassion and answers | | | | the resources that you need. Ifyou're mentoring a |
| themselves. | | | | group, often, the information is there in thegroup. By |
| When working with kids, we focus on answering | | | | asking and learning from each other, kids develop |
| these questions: | | | | trustand confidence. With this confidence, they find it |
| What do you want? | | | | easier toadmit that they don't know all the answers, |
| What do you have? | | | | and easier toapproach other sources outside the |
| What do you need? | | | | group for help. This givesthem great self-assurance |
| Where are you going to get it? | | | | and leads them to try an even biggerproject next |
| What will you do with it? | | | | time. Every time they take on a new challenge, |
| What do you want? | | | | theylearn something about the world and about |
| What someone wants is a good indicator of who | | | | themselves. |
| they are as anindividual. We work to get what we | | | | What will you do with it? |
| want. Where we work, what westudy in order to do | | | | Now that you have all the skills and have worked to |
| that work, who we work with, and what wethink | | | | learn newones, what will you do with your new |
| about, all create and change our personality. | | | | found talents? I mentoredaround emerging |
| This is where creating passion comes in. It is the | | | | technologies, helping kids become passionateabout |
| passion to getwhat you want, and to learn and | | | | the internet and giving them the resources to learn |
| create that motivates people. Byfinding out what kids | | | | how todesign web pages. The kids I worked with, |
| want to do, and then supporting them inevery way | | | | went on to do webdesign for real clients. They |
| possible, I facilitate their own learning process. Iask | | | | continued their learning on thejob. They developed |
| questions to help them find out what they want to | | | | language and presentation skills, theylearned how to |
| do. Iencourage them to explore for themselves ways | | | | interact with clients and meet deadlines, but |
| to get what theywant. I help them figure out what | | | | mostimportant they learned how to share expertise |
| they want to learn. As I seeit, a mentor should | | | | and how to findwhat they needed. They learned to |
| transfer responsibility for what has to belearned to | | | | be mentors and find mentors. |
| the student, because when the student take on | | | | Every time the students met a client or made a |
| theresponsibility, they will go beyond what anyone | | | | presentation of acompleted project, they were |
| expects. | | | | performing. Performance changes you. |
| What do you have? | | | | It is one of the milestones of life that I think |
| Determining your strengths, talents and skills, | | | | everyone shouldexperience. Practice is fine, but |
| whether you'reworking alone or in a group, is the | | | | actually getting up anddemonstrating what you have |
| launch pad for all discovery. | | | | learned, be it a piano concerto oryour own first Web |
| Determine what you have within the group itself and | | | | site, is a life-changing experience. The |
| work togetherto share those skills. Knowing what | | | | moreperformance opportunities we create for kids, |
| you have is key to knowingwhat you need. | | | | the more we helpthem find what they want, the |
| What do you need? | | | | more they will change, grow andtake responsibility |
| An important step in any project is determining the | | | | for their own lives. |
| gap betweenthe resources and information you | | | | |