The Hellenic Adult Education Association held two training sessions with Mentors of the Mentoring Across Borders project. Both sessions were hosted in Greek, with translated and adapted materials to suit the local contexts and needs of mentors.
The first took place on May 13, 2024, and was broken down into two separate sessions, one in the morning and one in the evening, as it was impossible to find a time and date that would suit them all. The meetings were held online to accommodate mentors from across the country. It is quite evident that the mentors cover a wide range of interests and topics and possess a high level of expertise, which ensures the quality of mentoring that will be provided. Both meetings adhered to a similar agenda. Initially, group members introduced themselves and shared their expectations for their participation. This was followed by a brief presentation of the project. Mentors were then informed about the program’s concept, their roles and responsibilities, the benefits of being a mentor, and provided with guidelines and practical advice for effective mentoring. Lastly, they were introduced to the platform and instructed on the steps to take once the mentoring collaboration commenced.
The second meeting, held on June 4, 2024, included the virtual presence of 9 mentors and offered a deeper exploration of mentoring. We were fortunate to have Professor Frangoulis, an expert on mentoring, among the mentors. He shared a presentation on maximizing the effectiveness of mentoring, with a particular emphasis on e-mentoring for adults, which is crucial for the MAB project since most mentoring sessions are expected to occur remotely. The discussion also covered the distinctions between mentoring, coaching, and consulting, with mentors sharing their opinions and concerns. Perhaps the most significant insight was the understanding that the ultimate goal of a mentor is to help the mentee become their own mentor. The mentors expressed their need to meet every month to exchange their ideas and their experiences from the mentoring process, and they created a group on WhatsApp to communicate easily.
