Mentorship
Be the bridge into womanhood/adulthood
“The curiosity, intelligence and wonder of the young women grounded me on many levels, reminding me that no matter what age, people are so full of wisdom and a desire for authentic connection. Watching my mentee grow and blossom into a woman who is learning to uncover her own strength has been inspiring.”
Become a mentor for our 6-month Rite of Passage Program for the unique experience of holding girls and gender-diverse youth in love and community as they transition into young womanhood/adulthood. Witness their courage, passion, and explosive beauty as you support them to discover their individual gifts and shine. We welcome women and gender-diverse adults for this exciting opportunity.
Being a Flourish mentor is a blend of 1-on-1 time with your mentee and community time with all mentors, participants, guest instructors and sometimes families. The 1-on-1 time can be much like a Big Sisters relationship, hanging out and doing free or low-cost activities (we have lots of suggestions!). Community time brings everyone together in facilitated activities, recognizing that we belong to something greater and there is strength, power and synergy when we gather.
We provide training specifically on rites of passage and coming-of-age to guide all mentors through this special 6-month process. Your involvement is therefore two-fold: learning about the unique arc and details of a transformational rite of passage, and the precious opportunity to put that learning into action by intimately supporting a youth as they come-of-age… all within an amazing community! Witnessing young people’s inner fires ignite is truly awe-inspiring and we hope you’ll join us in this grand adventure!
Please note that you MUST be comfortable sleeping in a tent and hiking with a sizeable backpack for about an hour.
Why is your mentor role so important?
Coming-of-age is the time in youth when focus and awareness starts to shift from ‘home & family’ to the larger community or world. It’s a rich period of self-discovery where we naturally start pushing boundaries to expand our sense of self and belonging in the world. We usually feel, experience and think about A LOT as we’re going through so many changes.
In pre-modern times, as youth moved away from parental dependence, cultures around the world had rites of passage where mentors and elders stepped in to guide this self-discovery toward finding personal gifts and developing confidence. Young people’s natural need for risk and experimentation was met through appropriate challenges aimed to catalyze the geniuses that were ready to emerge. The whole village would honour and celebrate the transition.
Our modern Western culture sorely lacks such support, and many youth are coming-of-age with mainly the media and their peers for guidance. Girls and gender-diverse youth learn very limiting ideas about beauty, power, body image, emotions and sex which can have negative effects on self-esteem and impede growth into their full potential.
Your presence as a mentor is therefore invaluable, and as a Flourish mentor, you will accompany a special individual as they step into the powerful time of young womanhood/adulthood.