CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
Junior Achievement Nova Scotia is looking for volunteers to act as mentors for the Digital Bridge Scholarship, launching across the province this September. Through this program, students are given 6 months of free access to a library of online courses covering topics in ICT. Each recipient is also paired with a mentor - either a school teacher or volunteer - who will regularly check on their progress, help guide their learning, and provide ongoing support.
QUALIFICATIONS
Ideally, mentors should have a background in ICT, whether this background is in web design, database administration, system administration, computer programming, etc. The library of online learning covers a variety of topics related to computer programming, ranging from mobile app development, to responsive design, data analytics, database and server administration. Students can also choose from a variety of programming languages and frameworks.
Mentors are not required to know the specific material that students choose to study! It is sufficient to have a general understanding of the topics at hand, and an idea of where to look as questions come up.
COMMITMENT
Bridge Scholarship terms lasts for 6 months. We suggest that mentors meet with their students for a minimum of an hour every 1-2 weeks. There is certainly some flexibility here: some mentors might decide to meet every week for 45 minutes, while others might decide to do a 90-minute session every 2 weeks. Your schedule is up to you!
There’s no limit on the number of students you choose to mentor. As you will be committing to regular meetings, we might suggest mentoring a small group of 2-3 students. This provides much more reinforcement, promotes teamwork, and adds a much more casual and relaxed dynamic.
While teachers and existing Junior Achievement volunteers already have their vulnerable sector clearance, new volunteers will need to undergo a criminal record and vulnerable sector check. This can be arranged through Junior Achievement, and may be offered either free of charge, or at a discount, depending on the volunteer’s location. Get in touch to find out more!