This month, we explores further what it mean when we call the Catalyst a Collective.
At the Catalyst, we believe our mentors are the foundation of the Collective. Carefully selected from a range of careers, interests and backgrounds, they are all passionate about uplifting the next generation of Black women. On our part, we provide them with as much support as possible through training, and regular check-ins with their mentor coordinator and the wider network. In turn, our mentors go above and beyond to contribute to our growing community.
Next year as our programme continues to grow exponentially, we look forward to mentors taking on roles within the Catalyst Collective, supporting us in programme development, communications, event planning and organisational development. We also reach out to members of the wider community to give career talks and further guidance to our mentees.
But it's not just the adults that contribute to the Collective. What we do wouldn’t be possible without our expanding network of inspiring and dedicated mentees. We partner with local schools, recruiting, training and supporting our mentees in small cohorts. This model enabling us to ensure that each girl feels fully equipped to be part of the mentoring programme. We also know it's always better to do things in community, and so we work to create a culture of wellbeing and mutual encouragement within each cohort.
At the Catalyst, each mentee helps enrich the collective for the next generation. In our first year, our mentees have been integral to the development of our programme. From speaking to new partner schools about their experiences, to sharing their feedback with us to shape programme design, we are so grateful to them for being part of our community. Our current mentees will also be taking a lead in future mentee recruitment and training, as well as lending their voices to our Youth Advisory Board when it launches this Autumn. And naturally, we would love for them to come back as mentors in the future!
We are truly a Collective, and we cannot exist without the contributions of every member of our community. As the Catalyst Collective grows, we are always eager to hear from you. We hope you'll consider joining us as we build this community together.
Words by Amara Agwo
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