Peer Educational Mentorship Program

The Peer Educational Mentorship (PEM) Program is a paid opportunity for qualified, highly motivated undergraduate students at Mason who are interested in gaining leadership opportunities and intercultural experiences. The mentors, called Peer Educators (PEs), work with undergraduate international students in ACCESS, a first-year transitional program. PEs provide advice and positive reinforcement to their international “mentees” to help build confidence in their abilities both as students and as non-native speakers of English.

This structured, supportive relationship aims to motivate international students in their academic studies and encourage them to become active participants in the university community. Peer Educators will also help plan, organize, and implement related extracurricular and co-curricular projects, programs, and events.

Peer Educator Responsibilities

The PEM Program is an academic year-long commitment, beginning in the fall. Peer Educators are expected to commit approximately 4 hours a week to assist ACCESS students, with guidance from CISA faculty and staff, during the academic year.

Responsibilities include:

• Participating in PEM program training sessions (April, August), ACCESS orientation (August), re-orientation (January), and closing ceremony (May).
• Attending bi-weekly feedback and training sessions in a PROV 207 course (credit optional)
• Proactively mentoring ACCESS students by contacting them at least twice per month
• Submit weekly logs of mentoring activity
• Maintaining student confidentiality
• Maintaining a 3.0 GPA and serving as a positive role model
• Other community-building tasks as assigned (including event planning assistance & attendance)

In addition, Peer Educators are expected to facilitate intercultural communication with their small group of ACCESS students in an effort to enhance their educational and multicultural experiences at Mason. As mentoring is a relationship built on trust, PEs are also  required to sign a privacy contract.

Participation Benefits

• Earn a stipend over the 2013-2014 academic year.
• Earn points toward the university Global Proficiency Certificate, a Leadership Award, or a Certificate of Participation.
• *Option* of earning 1 credit in course PROV 207. (Please Note: Course loads over 16 credits will be charged a course overload fee.)
• Personal growth in the areas of leadership experience, intercultural communication, critical awareness of ethical challenges, and development of multicultural perspectives.
• For strong participants: Nomination for Mason chapter of Phi Beta Delta Honor Society for International Scholars

Selection Criteria & Process

The application due date has passed.  Please check back in February 2014.

The PE Program committee selects participants who meet the following criteria:

• Are sophomores*, juniors, or seniors
• Have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Are conscious about mentoring through interaction with other students
• Have some form of intercultural experience & appreciate cultural diversity
• Are active members of the university community
• Are available to participate in the PEM program’s events and assignments (for example, orientation session & bi-weekly meetings)

*Sophomores can be mentors for ACCESS students if they have completed the Peer Learning Partnership (PLP) Program and have maintained good academic standing during their first year.