Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
MENTOR Vermont is committed to fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion for all. We embrace our differences and celebrate our common humanity in advancing awareness of the need for equity and the transformative power of supportive relationships for young people. We believe that varied perspectives, experiences, and opinions are central assets in our vision of every young person in Vermont having the supportive mentoring relationships to grow and thrive.
Youth in mentoring relationships are oftentimes told that anyone who works hard, studies, and makes good decisions will get ahead. For many youth of color, however, structural barriers based on race create unique life challenges for which mentoring alone cannot account. We recognize that a “savior mentality” has historically been embedded in mentoring through the lens of race, class, gender, and other marginalized identities. It has centered on the notion that one person (an adult from a position of influence and power) can somehow improve the life of a young person who is challenged or troubled. It emphasizes the deficits of that young person or their family’s life and the assets in the life of the adult. While born of good intentions, it reinforces the existing systemic and structural inequities in our society because it does not interrogate them or force exploration. In addition, we recognize that leadership at all levels in the mentoring field plays a role in either maintaining the status quo or in being a change agent to address institutional barriers that produce disparate racial outcomes.
Read About the MENTOR Vermont's DEI JourneyTo our Vermont community,
The Vermont mentoring field is committed to fostering an environment of diversity and inclusion for all. We embrace our differences and celebrate our common humanity in advancing awareness of the need for equity and the transformative power of supportive relationships for young people. In an increasingly multicultural and diverse society, we value all perspectives, experiences, and opinions as central assets in our vision of every young person in Vermont having the supportive mentoring relationships to grow and thrive.
We, as a mentoring field in Vermont, will lead by example in our dedication and promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion through collective action to ensure alignment with our commitment as follows…
Read about the Vermont Mentoring Community's Commitment to DEI“To make it safe for youth we must be equipped to know and support all their identities. Vermont is also a very isolating state, so DEI work is important to make them feel heard, valued, and able to be their authentic self here.”
– Mona Abdelghani, DREAM Associate Youth Service Director