Professional Development

Orientation

Inspiring Minds volunteers and other tutor/mentors must complete an orientation prior to service. The two-hour orientation covers our approach to tutoring and mentoring and reinforces the policies and protocols in place to protect children.

Our approach: Inspiring Minds views tutoring as the direct and clearly defined work to support the students’ academic skill development and mentoring as the more indirect work aimed at cultivating caring positive relationships which will boost student confidence and promote academic achievement.

Mentoring: Volunteers are trained in relationship building skills that help to develop close connections with students through which young people discover who they are, gain skills to shape their own lives, and learn how to interact and contribute to the world around them. Our volunteers are trained in the Search Institutes’ evidence-based Developmental Relationships Framework. Within each tutor-student relationship, the volunteer is focused on the following relationship goals: Expressing care, challenging growth, providing support, sharing power, and expanding possibilities.

Tutoring: Volunteers are provided with a brief orientation to facilitating learning by asking questions. They support students through simple problem-solving skills that are designed to promote independent thinking. Inspiring Minds offers three professional development opportunities per month for volunteers and other tutor/mentors. These include trainings on the standards and curriculum utilized by teachers in Providence Public Schools, social emotional learning and trauma-informed approaches to student support, cultural competence, and antiracist practices.

All tutor/mentors review district policies and protocols relevant to their service in Providence Schools, including the policies on Internet Acceptable Use, Social Media, Confidentiality, and Mandatory Reporting.