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Critical Consciousness: This is the central competency that connects and enhances all others. Critical consciousness involves an awareness of social, political, and economic forces that shape one’s life and the lives of others. For girls of color, it includes the ability to critically analyze power dynamics and to challenge oppression. This competency helps them recognize and resist societal inequities, fostering empowerment and resilience.

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Competence: Competence is a positive perception of one’s abilities in specific domains, such as academic, social, and cognitive areas. For girls of color, it includes not only skill mastery but also an awareness of how to navigate societal biases and utilize their unique strengths to achieve their goals.

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Confidence: Confidence refers to a sense of self-worth and self-efficacy. For girls of color, it involves a positive racial or ethnic identity and a critical understanding of societal messages about their identity. This competency fosters a strong sense of self that resists negative stereotypes and societal pressures.

Character: Character encompasses respect for societal and cultural rules, as well as a sense of morality and integrity. For girls of color, this includes critically analyzing cultural norms and developing personal values that may challenge restrictive or discriminatory societal expectations, allowing them to act with authenticity and purpose.

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Connection & Caring: This competency highlights the importance of building strong, supportive relationships with peers, mentors, and community members. For girls of color, it includes connecting with role models and supportive figures, especially women of color, who understand their experiences and can help them navigate societal challenges with empathy and resilience.

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Contribution: Contribution involves giving back to one’s community and working toward positive social change. For girls of color, this often takes the form of social activism and efforts to uplift and empower their communities, creating a sense of purpose and solidarity.

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Resistance: Resistance is the ability to critically challenge and push back against societal norms and stereotypes that may marginalize or oppress girls of color. This competency involves both individual and collective strategies to combat injustice, drawing strength from cultural pride and solidarity with others facing similar struggles.

Resilience: Resilience refers to the capacity to persevere through adversity. For girls of color, resilience is developed through coping skills and support systems that enable them to withstand challenges related to racism, sexism, and other forms of discrimination. This competency is vital for maintaining mental wellness and achieving personal and academic goals.

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How can I help my mentee understand and recognize the social and political forces that impact her life?

What strategies can I use to guide her in questioning and analyzing power dynamics within her community and school?

How can I provide a safe space for her to discuss and process her awareness of social justice issues?

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How can I help my mentee identify and build on her strengths in various areas like academics, social skills, and personal interests?

What role can I play in helping her see beyond societal expectations and focus on her unique talents?

How can I encourage her to set personal goals and pursue them confidently, even when facing societal biases?

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How can I support my mentee in developing her own set of values and moral compass?

What can I do to help her navigate situations where her personal values might conflict with societal or cultural expectations?

How can I model integrity and authenticity in a way that inspires her to stay true to herself?

How can I reinforce her self-worth and help her build confidence in who she is, especially as she encounters societal stereotypes?

What steps can I take to help her see her identity as a source of strength and pride?

How can I gently challenge her to step out of her comfort zone to build her self-efficacy?

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How can I help my mentee build strong, positive relationships with others who respect her experiences?

What approaches can I take to foster empathy and a sense of caring in her interactions with peers and family?

How can I show her the importance of finding mentors and role models who truly understand her background and challenges?

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How can I encourage my mentee to discover causes or issues she’s passionate about?

What guidance can I offer her in finding ways to contribute meaningfully to her community?

How can I model the importance of social responsibility and encourage her to see herself as a change-maker?

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How can I support my mentee in learning to advocate for herself and stand up against biases and stereotypes?

What tools can I provide to help her push back effectively against social pressures or negative messages?

How can I inspire resilience in her, so she feels empowered to resist rather than accept limiting societal expectations?

How can I support my mentee in developing coping skills to manage adversity and challenges?

What can I do to ensure she has a reliable support system and knows where to turn for help when facing difficulties?

How can I encourage her to see setbacks as opportunities for growth and help her cultivate a mindset of perseverance?

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Through consistent communication with our mentees we can ensure they feel supported.

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helping the mentee find a topic they relate to by digging into what they have personal experience with

sharing news articles or stories that may resonate with her

taking mentee out to experience new volunteer efforts together

We can share our experiences of where we feel we created change-- like volunteering and how it made us feel to encourage our mentees.

making sure to let the mentees know you can start small with your giving back to meet your goals and grow from there... it can be as small as buying a pack of socks to pass out to those in need and make a big impact!

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Reminders that life is full of twists/turns and speed bumps but our reaction to them should come from a place of growth and positivity not always have a fixed mindset. It's ok to be upset, but it's how quickly you see the other side and figure out how to help to make things different/better the next time around.

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Checking in weekly with mentee to see if they need a tutor or assistance with anything academically.

Shy and timid - Taking the mentee out to gain life experiences and interact with other adults in multiple different social settings.

Goals - To help with societal issues - Give the girls experiences with shelters and giving back to the community in need.

Overall the confidence to gain competence in any of these areas can easily be supported by us as mentors. We spoke about mentors reaching out to other mentors to bounce ideas off of and help with social or racial barriers that could potentially exist.

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Have a powerful & respectful voice no matter what. It's not just about what you say, it's about how you say it.

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Exposure and experiences

Encouraging them to do new things

Join clubs, get involved in things at school

Meaningful conversations to teach them how to approach situations that they may be in to make them feel less than. Learning how to speak to stand up for yourself and what you believe.

Showing confidence and how we are authentic to ourselves to help them learn how to stay true to themselves. Teaching them how to present themselves in certain situations.

Reinforcing that it is ok to be them and help to build their confidence. Explaining how to be proud of what you have and appreciate being in the now.

Encouraging them to meet new people and how to go about it.

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Discuss their day to day life because they may not realize certain things that are going on. Discuss things that are fact & fiction in life.

Learn both sides & knowing what they expecting out of you & take your own morals & put it into one. How would you adapt & still maintain yourself? Be true to you.

Listen to what she is saying & ask her if she wants you to respond or listen. Don’t project anything on to her. Giving them that space to build their own knowledge.