What are the key outcomes of GMI's mentorship program for students?

GMI's program aims to increase students' career confidence, improve their job search skills, help them build professional networks, and ultimately increase their chances of securing employment. On average, students see a significant boost in their career confidence index and 76% find jobs within six months of graduating.

How does SNHU's GEM program support students' employment goals?

GEM's curriculum incorporates skills identified by employers, requires internships, and focuses on developing soft skills necessary for the workplace. This approach results in 85% of their students reporting dignified employment six months post-graduation.

What is the partnership model between GMI, GEM, and local organizations?

GEM/SNHU provides the academic program and focuses on employment pathways, while partners like GMI offer mentorship, and on-the-ground partners provide wraparound supports such as academic coaching and mental health services.

How do organizations like Kepler integrate GMI mentorship into their support for students?

Kepler, as an on-the-ground partner, identifies and recommends students ready for mentorship. They explain the program's benefits, share materials, and integrate GMI opportunities into student milestones, like orientations for BA programs.

What kind of feedback have students provided about the GMI mentorship program?

Students report gaining a distinct identity, boosted self-confidence, clearer vision and goals, and developing smart strategies for career opportunities. They also appreciate the practical skills gained for resumes, interviews, and workplace behavior.

How long does the GMI mentorship program typically last?

The GMI mentorship program is structured and typically lasts between 14 and 20 weeks on average.

At what stage of their education do SNHU GEM students typically engage with GMI?

SNHU GEM students are generally eligible to apply for GMI when they have completed 60 competencies, often after finishing their associate's degree and embarking on their bachelor's degree, preparing them for transition into employment.

What are some challenges faced when mentoring refugee learners?

Challenges include limited internet access, unstable circumstances, limited job opportunities, and the unique lived experiences of refugees. Mentors need extra training, patience, and the ability to help students set achievable short-term and long-term goals.

Are the GMI and SNHU GEM programs free for participants?

Yes, the GMI program is completely free for university and youth partners, and therefore for students. The SNHU GEM program is also free for its GEM students, who receive a scholarship.

How can organizations or individuals partner with GMI or SNHU GEM?

Interested parties can reach out to GMI to provide mentors or offer student pipelines, especially for refugees. For SNHU GEM, potential partners can contact them to explore expanding their operations to new locations.

Building Bridges: How Two Nonprofits are Partnering to Empower Refugee Communities - MS 2023

Q: How does Southern New Hampshire University's Global Education Movement (GEM) program work?

GEM offers US-accredited bachelor's degrees to refugees and their communities through a competency-based, self-paced model. It operates via local partners and focuses on academic learning, internships, and employment pathways.

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Education5 min read64 min video

May 5, 2023|98 views|2

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Key Moments

TL;DR

GMI and SNHU GEM partner to provide mentorship and accredited degrees to refugee learners, improving employment outcomes globally.

Key Insights

The partnership between GMI and SNHU GEM provides accredited degrees and mentorship to refugees, addressing opportunity gaps in employment.

GMI offers structured, short-term online mentorship focused on career confidence and job market readiness, utilizing volunteer professionals.

SNHU GEM delivers US-accredited bachelor's degrees through a competency-based, self-paced model, partnering with local organizations for wraparound support.

On-the-ground partners like Kepler and JRS Kenya play a crucial role in student identification, academic coaching, and providing essential wraparound services.

Student testimonials highlight significant improvements in self-perception, goal clarity, and strategic career planning due to mentorship.

The programs are free for students and aim to create scalable pathways for refugees to achieve dignified, long-term employment and become job creators.

ESTABLISHING THE PARTNERSHIP FOR REFUGEE EMPOWERMENT

The Migration Summit 2023 session highlighted a powerful collaboration between the Global Mentorship Initiative (GMI) and Southern New Hampshire University's Global Education Movement (SNHU GEM). This partnership, initiated in early 2021, aims to furnish refugee learners with accredited degrees and essential mentorship. The core objective is to create scalable support networks and pathways to prosperity, encouraging other non-profits and actors to explore collaborative models for supporting displaced individuals. A secondary goal is to connect with entities that can enhance employment outcomes for this vulnerable population.

THE GLOBAL MENTORSHIP INITIATIVE (GMI) MODEL

Jon Browning, founder of GMI, explained that the initiative addresses the opportunity gap faced by young people, including first-generation college students and those without strong support networks, in securing meaningful employment. GMI partners with universities and youth organizations to connect students nominated by these institutions with business professionals. These professionals provide structured, short-term online mentorship designed for minimal time commitment but maximum impact. The program aims to equip students with career confidence, job search skills, and professional networks, evidenced by a significant increase in career confidence index scores and a high rate of employment post-graduation.

SNHU'S GLOBAL EDUCATION MOVEMENT (GEM) APPROACH

Rachael Sears described SNHU GEM's mission: to provide US-accredited bachelor's degrees to refugees and their surrounding communities across Africa and the Middle East. Operating through a partnership model with local organizations, GEM offers a self-paced, competency-based curriculum. Credits are not tied to seat time but to demonstrated competencies through projects and faculty feedback. Crucially, GEM focuses on employment and livelihoods, requiring internships and embedding relevant skills identified by employers into the curriculum. Their on-the-ground partners provide vital wraparound supports such as academic coaching, mental health services, and advocacy.

THE SYNERGY AND OPERATIONAL FRAMEWORK

The partnership between GMI and SNHU GEM is designed to be operationally streamlined and scalable. SNHU GEM focuses on delivering the academic program and identifying internship opportunities, while GMI provides the mentorship component. On-the-ground partners, like Kepler and JRS Kenya, identify students ready for mentorship and facilitate the process. This division of labor prevents duplication of efforts and ensures that each organization leverages its core strengths. GMI manages the mentorship program's day-to-day operations, tracking students and providing support, which is crucial for ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience across various international sites.

ON-THE-GROUND IMPACT AND STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

Representatives from local partners, Landouard Habiyaremye (Kepler) and Enos Abelle Kabelle (JRS Kenya), shared how they integrate GMI and SNHU GEM into their support for students. They highlighted the program's alignment with their own missions to empower marginalized and refugee communities. Student graduates, Sandrine Umulisa and Jean de Dieu Ndayikeza, shared impactful testimonies. Sandrine learned about GEM and GMI in high school and leveraged the mentorship to develop soft skills, while Jean de Dieu utilized GMI's materials and his mentor's guidance to not only navigate job searches but also co-found a non-profit initiative for refugees, demonstrating the program's transformative potential.

ENHANCING EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES AND FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES

Felista Keni Lottimbo's experience underscored the profound impact of these programs, enabling her to initiate a mentorship group for 50 members within a refugee camp, fostering skills like CV writing and networking. The session transitioned into a discussion about challenges and opportunities, emphasizing the need for continued collaboration to improve employment outcomes. Key challenges include limited internet access and the inherent difficulties faced by refugees. Both GMI and SNHU GEM are free for students, relying on grants and sponsorships, and actively seek more scalable student pipelines, particularly from refugee communities, to further expand their reach and impact.

THE UNIQUE VALUE OF MENTORSHIP FOR REFUGEE LEARNERS

Jon Browning elaborated on the specialized needs of mentoring refugee learners, noting that it requires additional training and patience due to unique challenges like fluctuating access to technology and limited job prospects. Mentors must help students set achievable short-term goals while building a longer-term plan. This dual focus, balancing immediate needs with future aspirations, is critical. The session also highlighted that the mentorship program is typically 14-20 weeks long and students become eligible when they have completed approximately 60 competencies, usually during their associate's degree or as they transition to their bachelor's program, preparing them for employment.

BUILDING AN ECOSYSTEM FOR REFUGEE SUCCESS

The closing remarks emphasized the collective effort required to build an ecosystem that supports refugee learners. It was stressed that while non-profits, universities, and mentorship organizations play vital roles, businesses also have a significant part to play in providing opportunities. The participants shared a common sentiment that refugees are ready for employment and often just need that one opportunity to prove their capabilities. The session concluded with a call for continued connection and collaboration, aiming to intensify networks and improve outcomes, transforming refugees into job creators rather than solely job seekers.

Mentioned in This Episode

●Organizations

●Concepts

●People Referenced

Common Questions

GMI is an organization that connects college students, including refugees, with business professionals for short-term online mentorship. Its goal is to address the opportunity gap by providing guidance on job searching, networking, and professional development.

Topics

Nonprofit Partnerships Job Placement Competency-based Learning Scalable Programs Wraparound Services

Mentioned in this video

personRachael Sears

Vice President and Executive Director of Southern New Hampshire University's Global Education Movement, supporting students and partners in Africa and the Middle East.

organizationOne Acre Fund

An organization where Sandrine Umulisa works.

organizationJRS Kenya

An organization where Enos Abelle Kabelle works as the SNHU coordinator, supporting SNHU students.

personEnos Abelle Kabelle

Works for JRS Kenya as the SNHU coordinator.

organizationEuropean University Institute

An institution in Florence, Italy, where Jean de Dieu Ndayikeza completed a traineeship.

conceptCVE degree

A degree program mentioned in contrast to SNHU's competency-based credits, implying it might be tied to seat time.

organizationSouthern New Hampshire University

A university offering accredited bachelor's degrees through its Global Education Movement program, specifically designed for refugees and their communities.

personFelista Keni Lottimbo

A student facing internet connectivity issues, who is a participant in the GEM program and unable to fully introduce herself due to circumstances in Sudan.

personLandouard Habiyaremye

Works at Cape Le Rwanda and partners with SNHU's Global Education Movement to provide on-the-ground support to SNHU students.

personJean de Dieu Ndayikeza

A graduate from Southern New Hampshire University program and Kepler Kigali, Rwanda, also a graduate from the GMI mentorship program, and co-founder of Act for a Better Future.

locationSouth Africa

A country where SNHU's Global Education Movement has operational sites.

organizationGlobal Mentorship Initiative (GMI)

An organization that provides structured, short-term online mentorship to college students, including refugees, nominated by their colleges to help them navigate the job market and build professional networks. It aims to bridge the opportunity gap for those without strong support systems.

locationFlorence

A city in Italy where the European University Institute is located, and where Jean de Dieu Ndayikeza completed a traineeship.

organizationSouthern New Hampshire University's Global Education Movement (GEM)

A program that provides US-accredited bachelor's degrees to refugees and surrounding communities through a competency-based, self-paced model. It operates through partnerships with local organizations and focuses on employment and livelihoods.

personSandrine Umulisa

Former student from Kepler and the Southern New Hampshire University program, now working at One Acre Fund.

organizationCape Le Rwanda

An organization partnering with SNHU's Global Education Movement to provide on-the-ground support to students in Rwanda.

personJon Browning

Founder and CEO of Global Mentorship Initiative (GMI).

organizationAct for a Better Future

A nonprofit initiative co-founded by Jean de Dieu Ndayikeza, working with refugees in Mohammad Refugee Camp in Rwanda.

toolKepler