COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ALUMNI MENTORING PROGRAM (CAMP)

If you share our sense of mission, we hope you will choose to join us in our efforts to prepare the most capable and effective educators we can for metropolitan Philadelphia and beyond.

C. Kent McGuire, Ph.D., College of Education

 

About the College of Education Mentoring Program

In 2008, the College of Education Alumni Board of Directors and the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs for the College of Education collaborated to apply for a grant from the Temple University Alumni Association (TUAA). TUAA encouraged applications that consisted of engaging alumni to their school as well as reconnecting them to the university as a whole. The College of Education Alumni Association, however, recognized that relationships individuals build start prior to graduation. We also saw the unique opportunity to facilitate the growth of our student teacher mentees personally and professionally through an alumni mentor.

The mentors who participate in the College of Education Alumni Mentoring Program (CAMP) are alumni who volunteer their time and expertise as educators. The mentors are diverse in their experiences in the public & private school systems, grade levels, their age and personal backgrounds. The alumni mentor also not need be a member of the College of Education Alumni Association Board of Directors.

CAMP is only available to all College of Education student teacher mentees. There are no restrictions on what majors they may be pursuing or any other financial, social, or academic factors that are traditionally associated with fellowships or scholarships.

This program is designed to build support through mutual trust and respect. Confidentiality ensures both parties that they are to be creative and innovative in how they deal with issues pertinent to their experience as teachers and with education as a whole. More importantly, due to the program’s infancy, we encourage reflection on the program at all times to enhance its potential for future participants.

The Office of Development and Alumni Affairs will act as a liaison between the mentor and student teacher mentee as often as necessary as well as a representative of the board, Office of the Dean and overall Temple University administration.

Program Goals

The College of Education recognizes that the loss of a talented teacher because of inadequate support and guidance throughout their early years in an unnecessary and unavoidable loss. We aim to connect College of Education alumni and student teacher mentees in an engaging way that would encourage you to build that support prior to you stepping into the classroom. This program should provide you with the opportunity to ask questions, build your network, and utilize Temple University & the College of Education as a resource for your career.

With the support and participation of our alumni and student teacher mentees, we hope this pilot program will grow into a permanent one with the following objectives in mind:

• Retain quality teachers
• Improve teacher’s skills, performance, and adaptability
• Support teacher morale, communications, and initiative
• Build positive attitudes and professionalism
• Put theory into practice
• Build and maintain the ability to self-reflect

DEADLINE FOR STUDENT TEACHER MENTEE APPLICATIONS: AUGUST 14, 2009

DEADLINE FOR ALUMNI MENTOR APPLICATIONS: OPEN

For more information, contact Susie Suh at susie.suh@temple.edu or 215-204-0916.