Mentor UP Program
An accompaniment path to support the development, autonomy and integration of minors at risk in educational communities, the elderly in the area and refugees
The Mentor UP programme of the University of Padua responds to concrete social needs of the community: the isolation and vulnerability of children in difficulty, the risk of social marginalization during old age, and the lack of support networks for refugees. To do this, it encourages the active participation of students in civically engaging alongside people in fragile conditions, translating the values of inclusion and active citizenship into a direct experience on the territory.
The mentoring relationship thus becomes a tool that promotes the personal, academic and professional growth of students at the same time, and offers a concrete service to local organizations and the people who are part of them. Different stories and life paths meet through this relationship, generating new connections and support networks within the Paduan community.
In the psychosocial field, the term "mentoring" indicates a type of prevention programs based on the creation of a one-to-one support relationship between a non-institutional adult figure - the mentor - and a person in a vulnerable situation - the mentee - aimed at facilitating the social and personal development of the latter.
Numerous international studies highlight its effectiveness: the positive effects concern the school sphere, involvement in healthy behaviors and emotional and psychological well-being.
The mentor carries out this activity as an opportunity for personal, social and educational enrichment: his or her task is to promote the growth and autonomy of the mentee by offering him or her listening, new stimuli and positive examples, helping him or her to transform daily experiences into learning opportunities, and encouraging him or her to actively participate in the life of the community in which he or she lives. Mentees are people who go through certain difficulties: they may come from a disadvantaged family environment, lack stable reference figures, have language, relational or integration difficulties in the territory. In a mentoring project, mentors and mentees invest time and energy to develop a meaningful and mutual personal relationship, from which both derive growth and satisfaction.
Active since 2008, the Mentor UP programme has involved over 800 mentor-mentee pairs to date, with 40-70 new couples formed each year.
More information
The programme is part of the General Course "Mentoring: increasing interpersonal skills with Service-Learning", open to all students of the university, which allows students to acquire 6 university credits (ECTS credits) to be included among the free-choice credits of their study plan.
Students test the knowledge acquired in the university environment by applying it directly in the field, through the concrete experience of an interpersonal relationship with people in vulnerable situations. The course is part of the master's degree course in Community Psychology, Wellness Promotion, and Social Change, but is chosen every year by students belonging to numerous degree courses at the university.
The General Course lasts one year, from October to May. To participate, it is necessary to be present at the initial presentation lessons of the course, which will be held from the beginning of October.
For information: mentor.up.dpss@unipd.it
It is possible to participate in the General course Mentoring: increasing interpersonal skills with service learning.
The Mentor-UP Program, aimed at students , offers them the opportunity to live an educational and empowering experience at the same time, aimed at promoting the personal and social development of boys and girls at risk of marginalization and school dropout.
Mentor-UP is the course open to students of the University of Padua.
It is a course that allows you to increase your social skills by putting them to the test "in the field", through the direct experience of an interpersonal relationship. A course consistent with the values of social inclusion and active citizenship which, moreover, promotes the deepening of knowledge of one's community
Free Internship
Participation in the Mentoring and Service Learning Mentor-UP Program as a volunteer is open to all students of the University of Padua. The free internship is an experience of up to 9 months at the same structure located in the Padua area, which the student can carry out in addition to the mandatory credited pre-graduate traineeship. It is a completely autonomous experience compared to the traineeship for credits and in fact, it does not allow you to obtain additional university credits (ECTS credits) for your university career, but it is still a formative and interesting experience to be included in the course track.
For information: mentor-up.dpss@unipd.it
The course starts on 13 October 2023 at 8.30 am in room 3H – Psico2.