Mentorship

Connecting recent graduates and current students with alums

Mentorship at YHS

Interested in becoming an alum mentor to a current YHS student or a recent YHS graduate?

The YHS Mentorship Program offers a variety of options and opportunities to offer guidance and share your knowledge and experience with your fellow Yorkies.

Become an Alum Mentor to a Current Student

Our Senior students are at a pivotal crossroads where they are exploring post-secondary opportunities and career pathways that will ultimately shape who they are beyond York House School.

As a part of the Career-Life Connections curriculum, the YHS Mentorship Program will provide current students with the opportunity to network and connect with YHS alums where they can gain valuable insight into post-secondary programs and career industries while developing lifelong relationships so that they can make informed decisions about their future. See our YHS Mentorship FAQ for more information.

How does it work?

The YHS Mentorship Program begins in Grade 11 as a part of the Career-Life Connections curriculum at York House School. Each year, students will engage with one or more mentors. Mentors can remain involved in the program for as long as they wish and can participate in multiple mentorships over time. See our YHS Mentoring a Student Guide for Alums for more information on mentoring a YHS student.

Alum-to-Alum Mentorship Opportunities

Over the past several years, the YHS Alum Mentorship program has been successfully matching mentors and mentees from within our alum community. Connections made have led to internships and opportunities for career growth. True to our school motto “Not for Ourselves Alone”, guiding hands have pushed, encouraged, and nurtured. Our mentors know that they’ve made an impact both personally and professionally. Our mentees can explore career pathways they may not have considered before. With our new online platform, YHS Connect, the Alum Mentorship Program has never been easier to be part of.

Are you looking to make a career move, seeking a new role or are looking for advice? The YHS Mentorship Program also provides alum-to-alum mentorship opportunities. See our YHS Alum-to-Alum Mentorship Guide.

More questions? Explore these Frequently Asked Questions below.

Frequently Asked Questions

List of 8 frequently asked questions.

What is mentoring?

The purpose of mentoring is to connect someone with considerable knowledge and experience (the mentor) with someone with less knowledge or experience who seeks guidance and/or support (the mentee).

A mentor can play a key role in helping a mentee develop their confidence and leadership skills as they navigate and prepare for future opportunities.

Having a mentor can help a mentee to grow their skills, make informed decisions, and gain new perspectives on their life and career.
Can anyone be a mentor?

Absolutely - a resounding YES! Whether you are a new or recent YHS or university graduate, a seasoned individual established in your career, or a retired or nearly-retired professional, we want to hear from you. We welcome alum mentors of all ages and encourage you to share your stories and experiences.
Why should I become an alum mentor?
There are many benefits to becoming a mentor, including
- Reconnecting with the York House School Community
- Sharing your experiences and providing support for those in transitional stages in their career-life journeys
- Building mutually beneficial and rewarding relationships, both professionally and personally
- Developing or refining your leadership and communication skills
- Exploring professional networking opportunities and creating community contacts
How is the York House School Mentorship Program facilitated?

Our YHS Connect platform allows us to extend the YHS Mentorship Program to a wider audience and overcome the barriers of time and location. Once matched together via YHS Connect, mentors and mentees can choose to come together via Zoom, Google Meet, FaceTime, on the phone, or in person.
What are the expectations of me as a mentor for a current YHS student?

Grade 11s will be tasked with having to find 1-2 mentors from those “Willing to Help/Willing to Mentor” to connect with over the year. Such conversations may have students asking mentors industry or career-specific questions, they may want to gain more knowledge or insight into a particular program or university, or simply want another perspective to listen to and learn from.

The YHS Mentorship Program is designed to be flexible for both the mentor and mentee; you have the power to co-establish a relationship that works for both of you. Mentorship comes in all shapes and sizes. It can be a one-off or one-time conversation with a student, or it can be ongoing communication with several connection points over the year.
What are the time commitments expected of me as a mentor?

In most cases, you can expect to communicate digitally with your mentee via YHS Connect. In some cases, your mentee may have a few quick questions for you, or they may want to connect at regular intervals throughout the school year.

Mentors can expect to have 1-2 students on average, You have the power to accept/decline requests depending on your capacity.
I want to become a mentor! Where do I start?
1. Create a profile on YHS Connect or login into your existing profile; the platform also can be integrated with your LinkedIn account to create a profile
2. Ensure that your profile is up to date in terms of “industry,” work/education experience and geographical location
3. Ensure that you have ticked the boxes related to Mentorship in the “Offering Help” section of your profile
4. Once your profile is complete and has been approved by our administrators, please read the Alum Guide for Mentoring a YHS Student or our YHS Alum to Alum Mentorship Guide. Familiarize yourself with these documents, and our Mentoring Code of Conduct & Confidentiality
5. Upon profile approval, students will be able to view your profile and send mentorship requests to mentors they feel match their needs and interests
Still not sure? Need some more help getting started?
Contact Ita Kane-Wilson, Associate Director, Alum Relations at ikane-wilson@yorkhouse.ca for more information or if you have questions related to:
- How to use YHS Connect (profile creation, technical questions, etc.)
- Changing your contact information
- Joining, changing, or cancelling your involvement in the YHS Mentorship Program

About YHS Connect

YHS Connect is a digital platform, exclusive to York House School graduates, allowing Yorkies to stay connected with former classmates all over the world. Any place. Any time.

YHS Connect provides alums with exclusive access to engage in a vibrant online community with access to exclusive resources and fully integrated social networks.

Whether you are moving to a new city, changing universities, changing careers, or looking for a new opportunity, our new platform makes it easy for you to make lasting York House connections now and into the future.

YHS Connect enables you to explore jobs, internships or volunteer opportunities, find alum events near you, search for mentors - or become a mentor - or join an upcoming career panel at YHS. The possibilities are endless.

Additionally, current senior students will have access to the YHS Connect platform giving them the opportunity to network and find an alum mentor as a part of our YHS Mentorship program.

Business Directory for Alums

Did you know that there is also an Alum Business Directory on our YHS Connect platform? If you're a YHS Alum with your own business, or if you're interested in supporting alum-owned businesses, we encourage you to learn more about our Business Directory and get involved!

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