The Student Mentor Program (SMP) is an initiative by Pratham Mysore to empower rural youth through non formal education. The young in the villages are faced with innumerable challenges to acquire knowledge. Besides impoverishment, limited learning of the parents, there is also a lack of infrastructure, internet connectivity and access to mobile devices to name a few. The Student Mentor Program (SMP) is an attempt to supplement the knowledge and information of the mentee with the help of a mentor through a basic smart phone. Rural school going children between grades 6th to 9th will be focused to benefit out of this initiative.
A pilot program is currently underway is in Sujulur, Muthathi, Mavinahalli and Hyaknur villages in T. Narisapura Taluk in Karnataka. Mentors connect with mentees minimum once a week to offer advice, guidance and motivate the youth to pursue learning. The frequency of interaction can be more depending on the interest of both the mentor and mentee. Besides providing information, mentors impart knowledge on non-formal subjects aimed to empower the young. Mentors can also use topics listed by Pratham Mysore for the purpose.
WHO CAN BE MENTORS ?
An adult with a reasonable level of education and well informed in worldly matters, who can read and write Kannada and willing to comply with the guidelines laid down by Pratham Mysore. The aspirant will kindly give an undertaking that:
Program features:
- No financial transaction of any kind
- Not to discuss subjects that are sensitive and inappropriate
- Scope of discussion will be on non-formal subjects only that help in character building and enhance worldly knowledge.
- Will commit to give minimum one hour a week or more for a period of six months.
- There will be no physical contact between mentor and mentee and all interaction will be on mobile phones only
On agreeing to the above, the applicant to kindly submit his or her profile not exceeding 150 words and to include date of birth, contact address with mobile number and email address.