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Queer Resource Center Peer Mentorship Program

The Queer Resource Center Peer Mentoring Program pairs incoming LGBQT+ and Ally first-year students with upper year peers for assistance with navigating social and academic life at Trinity. Our mentors provide important peer support around issues relating to gender identity, sexual orientation, and allyship practice and assist mentees with learning various college processes and opportunities that can help cultivate a successful and enriching living and learning experience at Trinity.

Learning Goals:

  • Mentors in our program will become knowledgeable about various campus services, and receive extensive training on peer-support & mentorship practices, leadership skills, and allyship skills necessary for the development of successful mentorship experiences. Mentors will receive a stipend for their training and participation as a mentor and will be able to move onto campus early for training and participation in first year welcome initiatives.
  • Mentees in our program will gain a comprehensive awareness of Trinity’s services and opportunities around gender, sexual orientation, and allyship and will gain an important connection with an upper-year peer for support in their transition to life and learning at the College.
  • All participants will learn to utilize important goal setting and boundary setting tools and practice intentional and effective communication skills across people with shared identities and diverse experiences and perspectives. This program will help all participants practice skills for positive identity development, self-advocacy, stress management, active listening and peer support skills, collaboration, and conflict resolution skills, which can enrich the students’ personal development at the college and their readiness for life after Trinity.

Mentors: Total Program Commitment: (Est: 16 hrs over Fall semester)

  • Pre-semester Training: LGBTQ+ Foundations & Allyship Moodle (1.5 hrs.)
  • In -person Mentor Skill Training / Orientation (3 hrs.)
  • Mentorship program mixer (1.5 hrs.)
  • Meeting(s) to complete foundational pair assignments (2 hrs.)
  • Monthly or Bi-weekly Peer Check-in engagements to provide peer support/assistance opportunities. (5 hrs.)
    (ex: meeting for a meal, coffee, video or board games, attending campus events together, etc…)
  • QRC mentorship program special outings and events (2 hrs.) * these count as peer engagements
  • Monthly Engagement Summary to QRC (1 hr.)

Mentees: Total Program Commitment: (Est: 10.5 hrs over Fall semester)

  • Mentorship program mixer (1.5 hrs.)
  • Meeting(s) to complete foundational pair assignments (2 hrs.)
  • Monthly or Bi-weekly Peer Check-in engagements to provide peer support/assistance opportunities. (5 hrs.)
    (ex: meeting for a meal, coffee, video or board games, attending campus events together, etc…)
  • QRC mentorship program special outings and events (2 hrs.) * these count as peer engagements