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Call for Mentors for Global Ideas Institute

Submitted on Tuesday, October 08, 2019

Now entering its 10th year, the Global Ideas Institute (GII) is pleased to announce the opening of the 2019-2020 Call for Volunteer Mentors! The Global Ideas Institute is an ongoing collaborative program between the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto Schools, Rotman School of Management’s Integrative Thinking, and World Vision Canada.

Mentors are charged with guiding a team of six (6) Grade 11 students throughout the year (November 2019-April 2020) as the team develops an innovative solution to a complex global challenge. Students will work with their mentors once a month until April, where they will present a creative solution to the chosen global problem during a Final Symposium. The global challenge this year is Mental Health and Well-being. In the past nine years the Challenge Topics have been: Plastic Waste Accumulation, Sustainable Energy for All, Financial Inclusion in India; Scaling the Aravind Eye Institute Program; Broadening Distribution of Sprinkles Micronutrient Packets; Reinventing the Toilet; Birth Registration; Sustainable Energy Access for All; and Food Security.

We are seeking U of T students from a variety of academic disciplines- no background in international development is required. Mentorship or facilitation experience is essential for graduate-level mentors and strongly desired for undergraduate-level mentors. All mentors are expected to devote approximately three (3) hours per month to GII, including training, preparation and attendance at all monthly lectures. Please note mentor attendance at every session is critical as GII participants rely heavily on mentor guidance. All GII mentors will receive formal acknowledgement of this role on their official University of Toronto Co-Curricular Record.

Each mentor group will be comprised of two (2) U of T students from the aforementioned programs. These mentor groupings provide ongoing, multi-tier learning and mentorship opportunities. GII high school students will learn from their team of three (3) mentors and mentors will learn and support each other based on their experience. Mentors will be grouped according to complementary backgrounds and skillsets; the ratio of mentors to students is 2:6.

Deadline to apply is 12 pm EST on Friday, October 18th, 2019. The application form can be found here: https://forms.gle/s1wPw7jkfm9F3srK8

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