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First-Year Impact Report on Gratitude and Social Engagement
Our youth mentoring initiative stemmed from a deep commitment to grasp the unique hurdles encountered by young individuals. To achieve this, we conducted extensive interviews with 55 children and young adults, aiming to pinpoint their needs, interests, and strengths. Through these dialogues, we unearthed prevalent challenges including feelings of loss, language barriers, social struggles, isolation, and diminished motivation. However, amidst these obstacles, we also uncovered a vibrant enthusiasm for activities such as drawing, digital engagement, and virtual exploration.
Building on insights gathered from these interviews and our extensive research in mentoring programs, we developed our inaugural mentoring initiative: “Effort.”
From March to December 2023, we successfully executed two mentoring programs. The first program addressed individual needs and skills, engaging over 70 participants in approximately 900 mentoring sessions. Topics covered included resilience, language development, digital painting, robotics, information technology, and programming through group mentoring sessions. The second program was skill-focused, reaching more than 45 children and young people in areas such as digital painting, robotics, programming, and language through approximately 256 mentoring sessions.
Prior to launching our mentoring programs, we invested in the training of our mentors through a comprehensive 12-hour mentoring training program focused on acceptance, resilience, and understanding migration issues. Additionally, we hosted six workshops for children and young people, along with eight workshops for families, covering essential topics such as digital literacy, fostering a healthy family life, bilingualism, and resilience.
We passionately undertook this program -23 Mentoring Programs- with the invaluable support of approximately 20 dedicated individuals who volunteered their time and expertise.
An innovative approach: Skill-Based Mentoring for a better world.
A transformative initiative dedicated to empowering young immigrants in Germany. In response to the evolving needs of our diverse youth population, “Project Effort” has developed a competency and bond-oriented mentoring program to address the challenges faced by young immigrants after migration.
Project Effort is rooted in the understanding that successful integration of young immigrants is crucial for the future of our society. With over 7.5 million young people in Germany having a migration background, and one million youth aged 10 to 20 experiencing migration, our commitment to supporting these individuals is more vital than ever. Our program is designed to be an investment in the future, recognizing that fostering resilience, language proficiency, and skills development is key to their successful inclusion.
Our mentoring approach is grounded in the understanding that each person brings a set of skills, aspirations, and challenges that are uniquely their own. By combining a focus on existing skills with a comprehensive understanding of individual needs, we aim to provide a holistic and effective mentoring experience.
Concept and Impact
Throughout the program, we introduced an evidence-based mentoring process guided by our Januam Mentoring Flow and the principles of a skill-oriented mentoring program. Together, we participated in 23 mentoring programs, meeting weekly for approximately two hours. Each mentoring program spanned 3-4 months, culminating in mentees presenting their reflections, projects, and emotions at the program’s conclusion.
This collaborative learning experience fostered a sense of community, as participants learned from one another, forging new friendships. The transformative impact was profound – individuals no longer feel isolated; they are empowered to set and pursue new goals, realizing their aspirations for a dream-filled life.
They can express themselves better through their skills.
Having successfully implemented approximately 23 mentoring programs and conducted over 1120 group mentoring sessions, our initiative, ‘Project Effort: Skill-Based Mentoring Program,’ stands as a beacon of innovation and effectiveness in supporting the integration and growth of young immigrants. We invite you to join us in creating a pathway towards sustainable integration, social inclusion, and equal opportunities for the youth, enabling them to become active, confident contributors to our society.
The impact of our program is evident in the positive shifts in mindsets, the formation of more than 50 new friendships, a remarkable increase in the will and motivation to pursue new endeavors, and the successful completion of about 100 projects. With the participation of 115 mentees across 23 mentoring programs and 1120 group mentoring sessions, we are committed to fostering positive change and empowerment within our community.
The youth shared their experiences, expressing profound changes in their perspectives.
“I’ve altered my outlook on life. I no longer feel alone.”
“I’ve identified my strengths and honed my skills.”
“Collaborating creatively with peers feels incredibly special.”
Equally heartening were the sentiments from the families:
“We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity.”
“We now pay even closer attention to our children’s activities. Their interests and abilities have become more significant to us.”
“Can you continue these programs in the future?”
Sustainability and Quality Standards
Januam’s commitment to sustainability includes encouraging mentees to become future mentors. All mentors undergo basic mentoring training, emphasizing intercultural competence. Continuous training through a “just in time training” system ensures high-quality standards. Additionally, parent partnership programs facilitate active communication with families, recognizing the pivotal role they play in the lives of young immigrants.
Qualified Mentors
Our mentors, who are experts or aspiring experts in their respective fields, are multilingual, motivated, and possess innovative thinking capabilities. We actively engage individuals with migration experience who have successfully integrated, fostering an inclusive environment within our program. This inclusivity extends to include native individuals among our mentors, further enhancing the diversity and cultural richness within our mentoring community. Emphasizing multilingual delivery, we ensure accessibility for participants based on their language preferences, creating a dynamic and welcoming space for all.
What is NEXT?
We are ready to implement our program online and onsite with our new concept. The positive influence of our program’s participation in the startsocial e.V. (https://startsocial.de/) competition has paved the way for cooperation with ministries, local authorities, social and private institutions. Together, we aim to establish a sustainable and impactful mentoring program for the future.
*Author: Januam Mentoring
