Program Overview
The Premise:
DreamCatcher Mentoring (DCM) was developed in response to the declining number of students that enter and graduate from high school in northern Canada. DCM founders believe that an empowering and high-quality one-to-one mentorship will give students the confidence, leadership, and skills they need to create attainable goals, complete their education, and work towards their dreams and aspirations.
The Program:
The DCM Program is an innovative e-mentoring and leadership program that connects high school students in Yukon and Nunavut with Canadian mentors who work in the students' aspired career-of-choice. The purpose of the DCM Program is to provide career counselling and exploration to northern youth. Recognizing the importance of northern values, DCM also encourages students to take steps locally to realize their educational and career goals.
The Format:
The DCM Program is offered through high schools in the Yukon and Nunavut, and is facilitated by both the teacher and DCM staff. Students register through the DCM website and are matched with mentors who best share their career choices, hobbies and interests. Once matched, mentors and students will communicate entirely through our secured website, on a virtual e-mentoring discussion board. All posts are monitored to ensure the safety of both student and mentor. The length of these mentorships ranges from 2-4 months, depending on the student?s respective school curriculum. There are two semesters per year that run from October to January and March until June.
The Role of the Student:
DCM Students are asked to provide DreamCatcher Mentoring with a list of their top three career or job aspirations, and to list their dream career. Based on this information, students are paired with a suitable mentor with whom they will engage in online dialogue for the extent of their participation in the program. This participation will primarily take place on school computers during class time. With the support and guidance of their mentor, students may also arrange a short community volunteer placement in an area related to their career of interest.
The Role of the Mentor:
DCM Mentors are Canadian professionals who offer northern youth support and guidance on career exploration at a time when students are facing significant academic decisions. They volunteer approx. 15-20 minutes of their time per week to provide students with insight into their own careers, share the knowledge attained through their experience, introduce the opportunities available within the student?s area of interest, and work together with their student to identify the student?s goals and develop a plan towards achieving them. The DCM Mentor is governed by five principles to be a Guide, Resource, Role Model, Catalyst, and Support.
DreamCatcher Mentoring 2011-2012
The DCM 2011-2012 school year is currently underway! We are excited to share our exciting program, updated website, and unique DCM experience with you over the coming year. We anticipate up to eight schools, with a collective group of approximately 150 students, to participate in the DCM Program this year. Our ongoing search to find more passionate and dedicated mentors to accommodate our growing number of students is also in progress - so pass the word along!
Program Objectives
The DCM Program is the active branch of the DreamCatcher Mentoring organization. Designed to fulfil the six objectives of the DCM mandate, the Program is governed by three goals of advice, access, and advocacy. Each of the following program objectives and goals should be pursued through the course of the mentorship.
Our Objectives:
- Improve the leadership, confidence, and self-esteem of the student
- Expose the student to the work, rewards, and obstacles associated with their career of interest
- Provide the student with the advice and resources to learn more about their selected career
- Emphasize the importance of experiential (hands-on) learning
- Promote local community involvement, through a sense of community, home, and family
- Promote healthy living practices to support the student in achieving their goals
Our Goals:
Advice: Give appropriate advice about school, career counselling, scholarship resources, and personal experience. By acting as a valuable source of knowledge, insight, and encouragement for the student, you will help them to learn, gain confidence, and feel a sense of empowerment.
Access: Connect the student with people, opportunities, and information otherwise out of reach. As an e-mentoring program mentor, you can open up the vast resources of the internet to the student, and help them find new resources and opportunities for education and community involvement.
Advocacy: Be an advocate for the student. By creating opportunities to get to know the student as an equal, you will learn more about their needs and accomplishments, and become a stronger advocate for their behalf.
DCM History
The Pilot Program:
The DCM pilot program was launched April 2005 in Carcross, Yukon. For one month, 14 students from Ghuch Tla Community School (Grades 7-9) were matched with 14 Canadian mentors eager to support and guide northern youth as they identified school and career goals. In partnership with both the Yukon Department of Education and Carcross/Tagish Fist Nation, DreamCatcher provided a supplementary curriculum that helped students think critically about their future and prepared them for a daylong work placement in Whitehorse at the end of the program. The hours students volunteered for this placement were put towards community service hours required for high school graduation. This incentive allowing students to fulfil high school requirement before even completing Grade 9 was negotiated with Yukon Department of Education.
The First Year:
During the months of May-June 2006, 22 students from several schools across Yukon participated in the first official year of the DCM Program. These students were matched with Canadian mentors from cities across North America, including Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, San Francisco, and New York.
The Second Year:
In spring 2007, over 60 students representing 6 schools across the Yukon participated in DCM. We had unprecedented enrolment and activity occurred amongst mentors and students. These students were matched with Canadian mentors from places around the world, including Melbourne, New York, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa, and from a submarine!
The Third Year:
In 2008, over 90 students representing 7 schools participated in DCM, including the two largest high schools in the Yukon - Porter Creek Secondary School and FH Collins Secondary School. Students were matched with Canadian mentors from across Canada and around the globe, including cities such as Dubai and London.
The Fourth Year:
In 2009, the DCM Program expanded to include Inuksuk High School in Iqaluit, Nunavut, in addition to students from across the Yukon. Over 125 students from 7 schools in Yukon and Nunavut participated. A DCM Mentor was also selected to travel to the Yukon and present science-based workshops to high schools in Whitehorse and several communities.
The Fifth Year:
In 2010, the DCM Program was offered to schools in both academic semesters to accommodate more classes teaching career development curricula. As a result, over 180 students from 8 Yukon schools participated in the program. Two DCM Mentors were selected to travel to Whitehorse to conduct more science-based workshops, and meet their respective DCM students.
The Sixth Year:
In 2011, the DCM Program was again offered in both Yukon and Nunavut. Almost 200 students from 6 high schools participated in the program, and a record number of mentors were matched as new and professionally diverse mentors registered with DCM, and older and experienced mentors continued on. One DCM Mentor travelled to the Yukon and conducted experiential, science-based workshops in the local high schools.
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