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The Mentoring Relationship – Partners in Practice

Partners In Practice facilitates ways to support, enrich and encourage the mentoring relationship in early childhood practice.

Current Projects

. The document, Partners in Practice Mentoring Model: Reflection, Caring and Sharing, describes a model developed by field testing at three sites with protegés at the different career stages of student, novice and colleagues. The model defines mentoring as a relationship. It describes the components for supporting these relationships, but rather identifying the values that underlie it and the tools and strategies that support the growth and enrichment of the mentoring relationship. Authority for decisions on the form that the model takes lies with the early childhood care community implementing it. The publication also includes a survey of early childhood mentoring initiatives in Canada.

. The Partners in Practice project has applied the model to develop a workbook for introducing a mentoring component into field practice programs of Early Childhood Studies departments, and into early childhood care centres and organizations. The workbooks identify what resources are in place, need development and need to be developed. In addition, a database for matching students with field placements using the Partners In Practice matching methodology has been developed. The model building and workbook projects have been funded by the Child Care Visions Program of Human Resources Development Canada.

. Partners in Practice launched PIP Net, a web site to provide information to those in need of support or resources for mentoring in early childhood practice. The web site also provides training and support for early childhood practitioners who want to mentor and/or be mentored.

The Partners In Practice Mentoring Model: Reflection, Caring and Sharing costs $10.00 (Cdn), plus $2.00 for shipping and handling. Send check or money order to:
Partners In Practice, c/o 100-1200 Tower Rd., Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4K6. Email: info@partnersinpractice.org. Visit their website: www.partnersinpractice.org.