Posted by eporter on April 19, 2024
The Importance of Training Mentors to Build Critical Consciousness and Cultural Humility
Abbey N. Collins, B.A
Cultural competency training of mentors and mentoring program staff members has many direct and indirect benefits to mentors, mentees, mentoring relationships, and mentoring programs, as we described in a previous article. The central goal of cultural competency training for mentors is to increase mentors’ knowledge about the culture they come from as well as the culture and customs of other individuals. Cultural competency training can help mentors improve mentees’ ethnic identity exploration, positive views of their identity, sense of belonging, academic success, retention in various fields such as STEM, self-efficacy, and developmental outcomes. Cultural competency is an important starting point for mentors to understand their cultural biases and develop greater cultural awareness; however, emerging research suggests that it is necessary for mentors to also learn about the systemic factors that affect the lives of their mentees.1,2
Systemic factors refer to systems such as the political, legal, economic, health care, school, and criminal justice systems that may affect individuals’ life experiences.3 It is known that these systems have pervasive and deeply rooted forms of racism embedded within them that disproportionately impact marginalized populations and pose significant barriers to their livelihood.4 This concept is often overlooked in cultural competency training, which led to the emergence of a newer approach to mentoring called critical mentoring.2 Critical mentoring promotes the idea that mentoring programs and relationships should actively address systematic issues related to race, and that class, gender, and sexuality can impact the outcomes of mentees.2 Moreover, critical mentoring aims to foster critical agency which empowers mentees to engage in self-directed change to reconstruct both their place in their environment and the environment itself.5 This broader approach differs from traditional mentoring in that it does not view mentees from a place of deficiency. Rather, it acknowledges that youth have assets and resources to address challenges which can help them recognize their own strengths and experience greater self-efficacy.6 In addition, this approach can help not only the mentee but also the mentor, who may develop a critical consciousness about the world around them, which can be instrumental to the success and outcomes of the mentoring relationship.2,7
The notion of critical consciousness refers to the fundamental understanding of oppressive social elements, hierarchical structures, and one’s place in society, and it is one of the focal outcomes of engaging in critical mentoring.2,6 Critical consciousness is developed through education, analysis of personal experience, and critical dialogue.6 It is important for mentors to reflect on how systems of power, privilege, and oppression have impacted their own experiences, as well as learn the racist history of the United States that has harmed the lives of BIPOC adolescents and their communities.7 Engaging in this difficult, but necessary, process can aid in mentors’ abilities to develop cultural humility, which is when mentors are able to reflect on their own identities in relation to their mentee and strive to promote social change, rather than simply learning about “other” marginalized groups.8,9 Developing cultural humility can strengthen a mentor’s ability to provide culturally relevant support, effectively engage in dialogue about race and culture, and better handle misunderstandings, which, in turn, may positively influence youth development.6,8,10,11
Mentoring Central is dedicated to continuously developing staff and mentor training on fundamental and advanced training topics to support youth with diverse backgrounds and needs. This is why Mentoring Central has integrated information to help trainees build cultural humility and critical consciousness into Building the Foundation for STEM Mentors, a pre-match training for mentors and mentoring program staff supporting youth in STEM mentoring programs.
The training course contains activities that give trainees opportunities to examine and reflect on their own identity and experiences in STEM, such as how their race, gender, abilities, class, and citizenship status have impacted their experiences in STEM. These activities are designed to help trainees build cultural humility through self-exploration and comparing their experiences and values with their mentee’s experiences, in order to act in ways that are empowering and beneficial, rather than harmful, to their mentee throughout the mentoring relationship.
In addition, the program adopts a critical mentoring approach to help mentors empower their mentees, rather than view their mentee from a place of deficiency. Trainees are taught strategies to honor their mentees’ goals, strengths, and interests when planning activities to do together and having conversations with their mentee. Mentors learn strategies to empower their mentee to use their strengths and assets to pursue opportunities in STEM while also being a positive role model and advocating for their mentee.
Building the Foundation for STEM Mentors also includes a lesson that raises awareness and knowledge about the subtle and often, indirect, forms of aggression called microaggressions. More specifically, the course includes skills training on how to support mentees who have been the victim of microaggressions, so mentors can boost mentees’ confidence and their abilities to handle potential future microaggressions in safe and healthy ways.
Ethics & Safety, Mentoring Central’s pre-match training course designed to teach mentors the ethical principles of mentoring, also incorporates information and activities that help mentors build cultural humility and critical consciousness. For example, trainees learn strategies to become aware of their own values, beliefs, and experiences as well as to learn about their mentees’ values and backgrounds, so they can build a mentoring relationship that thrives. The training also teaches mentors strategies to promote justice and be fair and objective when interacting with their mentee. The training promotes the idea that mentees deserve the same treatment and consideration from their mentors as anyone else, regardless of their traits, background, or belief system. Mentors reflect on ways that they can be respectful and accepting of their mentee and gain a deeper understanding of diverse ways of living in order to promote a trusting mentoring relationship that is resilient in the face of challenges caused by cultural differences.
To learn more about Mentoring Central’s trainings designed to support youth with diverse backgrounds and needs, visit our website for more information.
References