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Become An SLC Mentor

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Thank you for considering being a mentor for the Golden Bay Sustainable Living Course at the Golden Bay Sustainable Living Centre (GBSLC).

We are very excited to be co-creating with you as we grow this dynamic course with the power to transform individuals and our community into a more sustainable world. After all, we’re all in this together.
 

BACKGROUND
First a little background. Up until April 2019, Te Wharerangi Trust had been operating the GBSLC as the GB Community Gardens in Golden Bay for over 30 years providing a venue for community events, classes, films, & workshops and offering allotments among many other services and projects you can read about on this website.  As part of our move to becoming a sustainable living centre, we are developing the Sustainable Living Course, a ten week course to be held twice a year at our facility and all across The Bay. Timing for the course is March - May and September - November.

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THE STUDENTS

Students are likely to be from Golden Bay, the Tasman region and other regions in NZ. We also expect a number of international participants. We know there is a great deal of interest in sustainable living and related projects throughout the world's communities particularly amongst the millennials.

 

It is also expected that they will have some prior knowledge of many aspects of the course and at the very least a passionate interest in how to live sustainably and how they can share that vision in their communities.

 

THE COURSE

The course covers 7 areas and includes a personal project.  Those areas are

  • permaculture design

  • eco-building & alternative lifestyles 

  • personal well-being

  • sustainable business

  • community resilience

  • organic growing

  • food preparation
     

You can find course details here.

 

As part of the course, students will get to visit many different places in GB and explore what makes GB such an interesting and diverse community.

 

THE PERSONAL PROJECT

Over the duration of the course, your student will develop a personal project on some aspect of sustainable living that they are passionate about. They will present their project to their fellow students, to the SLC teachers and course creators and to the wider community at the end of the course.

 

THE MENTOR ROLE

In a sense mentoring is both a service and a sustainable practice, helping in no small way to create better human relationships.

 

We feel that it would be of immense value if these students were supported and guided in the creation of their projects by a few supportive locals.  As well as what the students gain from the course, the support and connection they have with local people, mentors or otherwise will no doubt have a lasting and positive influence on their lives.

 

As a mentor you will be linked with a student when the student has ‘found’ his/her personal project. It will be presumed that the mentor will have some knowledge or expertise in that area the student wishes to focus on. We feel a valuable nurturing relationship will be created that will have a lasting impact on the student for the rest of their life. It will also help to make their time here in GB much more rewarding. We feel that the mentors will also get many benefits from the process.

 

  • Be inspired with new ideas

  • Be recognised for your involvement in a programme of importance for sustainability

  • Get new perspectives and insight into our community

  • Broaden your network

  • Feel new enthusiasm for life, increased confidence and personal fulfilment, & particularly satisfaction from seeing your mentee progress

 

We see it as a win-win situation for both the students and the mentors!

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TIME COMMITMENT

Time offered as a mentor can be flexible according to each person's time and availability.  There is a minimum of 2 hours a week which can be one longer meeting or other shorter meetings.

 

We will need you to come to an orientation to learn about the course and what is expected of a mentor. Time and date tba.

 

It would also be optimal if you could attend on the morning or afternoon of March 11th, the first day of the course, to introduce yourself to the students and again on presentation days at the end of the course May 16th and 17th.

 

MENTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Meet with your mentee at least once per week for a minimum of 2 hours total.

  • Take responsibility for organizing the day(s), time(s) and place for your meetings.

  • Show up to your meetings on time.

  • Attend one orientation meeting prior to the start of the course. Date and time tba.

  • Provide feedback to the course co-ordinator on a weekly basis about how you are doing and how the student is doing and let us know how we can support your process.

  • Attend first day of the course to introduce yourself. (About an hour)

  • Attend your mentee(s) presentation of their project at the end of the course. (An hour but you are welcome to stay for other projects too.)

  • Follow our code of ethics individually and as a team & abide by our conflict resolution process. (You will be able to download and read these on the application page).
     

PAYMENT

Note that we don't see this as being a paying proposition. It is more like an opportunity to offer generosity, wisdom and experience for future generations  It is also something that the elders and experienced people in societies have always done as a way of nurturing future generations. In itself it is a practice of sustainability.

 

If being a mentor to a student, is something you might have the time and passion for and you wish to be a part of this course, please apply here.

 

Thanks,

 

SLC Team

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