Reel Grrls Mentor Handbook - Revised June 2013 by Reel Grrls

Mentor Handbook Revised June 2013

Table of Contents Welcome ............................................................................................................ 3 Reel Grrls Values & Ethics ............................................................................. 4 Expectations & Responsibilities ................................................................. 6 Mentor Resources & Policies: ....................................................................... 9 Safe Environment ....................................................................................... 10 Keeping Youth and Mentors Safe: Reel Grrls Policies....................................................... 11 Electronic Communication with Participants: ......................................................................12 Prevention of Child Abuse & Washington State Mandated Reporting: .................13 Best Practices .........................................................................................................................................13 Supportive Environment ........................................................................... 16 Positive Girl Culture............................................................................................................................. 16 Personal Power ........................................................................................................................................17 Responding to Bigoted Words ..................................................................................................... 19 I Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Mean It Like That .................................................................................................................20 Interaction ................................................................................................... 22 Activism ..................................................................................................................................................... 22 Communication ......................................................................................................................................23 Tips for Strength-Based Approaches and Language.......................................................24 Engagement ............................................................................................... 26 Observing...................................................................................................................................................26 Thank You! ..................................................................................................... 29

A PDF copy of this handbook is available online at www.reelgrrls.org/mentor. 2

Welcome Welcome to Reel Grrls! Thank you for your interest in becoming a Mentor. Our programs would not be possible without the hard work and support of volunteers like you. Reel Grrls strives to empower young women from diverse communities to realize their power, talent and influence through media production. Reel Grrls is an equal opportunity employer. Reel Grrls is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and anti-oppression in employment and in the provision of all of its programs and services. Reel Grrls strives to be inclusive and representative of the diversity found in the Puget Sound community. Every staff member, board member, volunteer and youth participant is committed to creating an environment where each individual feels respected, welcomed, and understood. Reel Grrls provides services, employment and volunteer opportunities without regard to race, ethnicity, color, socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, ancestry, genetic characteristics, political belief or activity, status as a veteran, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state and local laws. It is the policy and practice of Reel Grrls to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Reel Grrls Values & Ethics Our Core Values ground our work with girls and one another. Reel Grrls envisions a world in which women and girls hold leadership roles in creating media and are valued and represented equally behind and in front of the camera. • LEADERSHIP. We believe that women and girls must play a leadership role in the creation of media. We support and respect our participants as leaders and role models in their communities and in the field of youth media. We believe in the personal power and activism of girls, staff and volunteers, and in the individual worth, creative contribution and potential for excellence of each girl, staff and volunteer involved with the organization. • UNRESTRAINED IDENTITY. We believe in celebrating cultural differences and in creating and nurturing environments that encourage people to work together, despite conventional definitions of community, class, gender, race, sexual orientation, and age. We embrace the complexity of one another, the girls we serve and the relationships we develop. We believe in the strength, beauty and necessity of a diverse workplace. We affirm our ongoing commitment to challenging the ways social injustice personally impacts each girl, staff member and Mentor involved with the organization. • COMMUNITY CONNECTION. We believe that connecting people to share ideas, skills and tools is a powerful way to serve our community. • CREATIVE VOICE. We provide a safe space where there is equal access to the tools and training needed to create high-quality media production, where people can share creative energy and ideas, and where our voices are heard individually and collectively. We are open to change, growth and conflict, and work with each other respectfully. We value asking critical questions of the organization to help it grow with integrity.

Our Ethics represent the ways we act to make our values real: • Respect the sensitivity of private information girls share, keep it confidential, and share it only when it is mandated to do so and/or with permission. • Ensure girls have lasting opportunities to experience safety, personal power and activism in programs and in their personal lives. • Refrain from taking unhealthy risks with the emotional and physical safety of girls. • Engage in respectful relationships with girls by treating them as individuals, acknowledging the power differential between us and refraining from projecting personal issues onto them. • Develop skills and ongoing curiosity for innovative, holistic and culturally competent practice approaches. • Maintain safety of staff, interns, board members, Mentors and other volunteers. • Respect the sensitivity of private staff, intern, donor and volunteer information. Ensure private information is kept confidential. • Be accountable to oneself, others and the mission and resources of the organization. •

Cultivate awareness and show respect for the role of each person who works at Reel Grrls, committing energy and talent to the better good of the organization.

Expectations & Responsibilities Reel Grrls is committed to creating a community where youth and Mentors experience both physical and emotional safety. Mentors support youth with opportunities for active learning, for skill building, and to develop healthy relationships. Reel Grrls strives to create an environment in which youth support each other, experience a sense of belonging, participate in small groups as members and leaders, and have opportunities to partner with adults. When our participants and Mentors feel safe and experience a sense of belonging, this clears the way for us to experience challenge, pursue learning, and reflect and learn from our experiences. Reel Grrls is committed to creating a community where oppressive behavior is not tolerated. Oppressive behavior is defined as conduct that demeans, marginalizes, threatens, or rejects others based on gender, class/income level, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, and self-expression. This also includes physical, verbal and emotional violations of personal freedoms. We advocate positive mediation of all conflicts and open communication but the safety of our program participants and staff is of primary importance. Mentor position commitments are determined individually and subject to termination at any time, at the discretion of the Executive Director and Program Manager. Mentor positions are typically uncompensated, unless arrangements with the Program Manager have been made in advance. We reimburse reasonable expenses incurred on behalf of Reel Grrls only with advance permission.

Gear Borrowing Privileges Active Mentors (those who have mentored in the last 6 months) are allowed to borrow gear free of charge and in accordance with posted rules. If you use our gear for a project please credit Reel Grrls in your credits. Logos are available for use from any staff member.

Expectations of Mentors •

Timely completion of all required media projects, paperwork, student evaluations.

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Attendance at all scheduled program meetings, as well as scheduled meetings with your team which may take place off-site and outside of regular program times.

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Ensuring the safety and well-being of participants, staff and equipment.

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Ensuring that the program locations are left clean and undamaged.

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Openness to constructive feedback, honest self-evaluation, and sharing formal and informal feedback with your immediate supervisor.

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Strict confidentiality for all information regarding past and present program participants, volunteers and employees.

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Abiding by federal, state and local laws in actions as a Mentor.

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Working in accordance with all published agency policies and procedures.

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Treating fellow Mentors, youth, staff and clients with courtesy, respect and professionalism.

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Providing notice of absence in advance when possible.

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Maintaining the organizationʼs good reputation in the community both through example and by respecting the confidential nature of internal organizational matters.

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Wearing clothing thatʼs free from offensive or oppressive language, images or advertisements of alcohol, tobacco or drugs.

Mentors’ Expectations of Reel Grrls •

Ability to work in an environment that is drug- and smoke-free. Our workplace fosters mutual respect and is free of harassment.

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Effective orientation and training.

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Confidentiality of personal information.

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Recognition and acknowledgement of efforts.

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Timely completion of all submitted paperwork, and if applicable, reimbursement according to contract.

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Prompt response to request for help.

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Honest, constructive feedback and evaluation.

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Electronic access to agency policies and procedures, response to questions.

Mentor Resources & Policies: We believe that quality programming is grounded in the Youth Program Quality Assessment (PQA) Pyramid: Safe Environment, Supportive Environment, Interaction and Engagement. Each level must be actualized in order to reach the highest level of program quality. The following section contains resources based on the YPQA model to assist you in helping us to uphold the Reel Grrls vision.

ÂŠ2007 High/Scope Educational Research Foundation- youth.highscope.org

Safe Environment

Youth experience both physical and psychological (emotional) safety. The program environment is safe and sanitary. The social environment is safe.

• Emergency evacuation procedures are posted on each floor near the exits. • First aid kits are marked and located upstairs under the sink and downstairs at the front door and studio door entrances. • Emergency food and shelter-in-place supplies are located in the downstairs classroom under the window. • Fire extinguishers are located in the outside hallway, by the front door, in the studio kitchen and in the upstairs kitchen. • Class rosters are posted by each exit for use in case of evacuation. If you are the last to leave the building during emergency evacuation, please grab the folder so we can account for all participants. 10

Keeping Youth and Mentors Safe: Reel Grrls Policies Reel Grrls is a fun, engaging and creative place to be a Mentor. One of the reasons itʼs such a great place is that we work hard to create a safe environment in which all participants and Mentors feel belonging, feel safe and valued, and can participate in a healthy and stress-free environment. Mentors who uphold our values and follow our policies are a key ingredient to making a space that is physically and emotionally safe. • Reel Grrls is a smoke- and drug-free environment. Do not smoke, drink alcohol or use drugs on the premises. Never give, sell or otherwise provide tobacco, drugs or alcohol to participants. • Follow the “rule of three:” avoid being alone with a single youth where other Mentors, youth or staff canʼt observe you. Innocent actions or behaviors can be misconstrued by others as inappropriate and can lead to false accusations. • You may not relate to youth who participate in Reel Grrls programs outside of approved RG activities. For example, babysitting, weekend trips, foster care, etc. are not permitted. • Giving personal gifts to participants or families is not allowed. • Dating an active program participant is not allowed. • Youth may not be disciplined by use of physical punishment or by failing to provide necessities of care. • Youth should not be singled out for favored attention. • Do not take away support or encouragement as a punishment. • Youth should only be released to authorized persons during pick up procedures. • Never allow program participants in your personal vehicle. Sometimes Mentors and youth need to meet outside of regular program times and locations in order to work on program activities (you might have a location shoot, for example). In that case arrange to meet at the site, 11

take public transportation together, or arrange for the participantʼs family or guardian to drive you in their car.

Electronic Communication with Participants: Mentors should not record by photo, video or other means, any meetings or conversations unless each person present has been notified and consents to being recorded. (Most participants in Reel Grrls programs have signed a photo release. If you are in doubt, check with the lead facilitator or Program staff to determine that a participant has a release form on file.) These recordings must only be used with the permission of the subjects and only in Reel Grrls materials (promotional materials, student films, etc.) Mentors may communicate with participants currently enrolled in a program only within the following guidelines: • Mentors must limit communication (via phone, email, text or instant message) to matters pertaining to the program. Communication with participants is not allowed during the hours of 11 pm and 6:00 am. • In your role as Mentor, youʼll often develop close relationships with youth participants during programming, and youth will sometimes want to stay in touch after the program ends. We ask that Mentors wait for the participant initiate contact post-program to establish an outside relationship. If you do not want to continue a relationship with the youth, you need to responsibly terminate the relationship (you can contact RG Program staff for help if you need it). • Any communication with youth participants post-program must exclude any behaviors that are prohibited by Reel Grrls policies, including, but not limited to, the use of alcohol or drugs, sexual harassment, bullying and oppressive behavior. We ask that you make the participantʼs parent or guardian aware of your ongoing relationship with youth (by ccing the youthʼs guardian on email correspondence, for example). • Mentors are welcome, but not required, to accept Facebook friend requests from participants. Reel Grrls asks that you do not post pictures or otherwise identify participants on any personal social networking sites. If youth are friends with you on Facebook or 12

followers on Twitter or other social media, we ask that you avoid posting about activities inappropriate for youth, or in violation of Reel Grrls policies, including, but not limited to, sexual activity, use of drugs or alcohol, and oppressive behavior.

Prevention of Child Abuse & Washington State Mandated Reporting: All staff members at Reel Grrls are Washington State Mandated reporters, meaning they are required by law to report allegations or suspicions of abuse or neglect. Mentors are not legally mandated reporters, but if a youth tells you of abuse by an adult, or if you suspect abuse or neglect of a youth by a parent or caregiver, you are required to report it to Reel Grrls staff, who will determine whether to report it to the state. Detailed information about mandated reporting, and what indicators and behavior suggest abuse, can be found here: http://dshs.wa.gov/pdf/ca/MandatedReporterTraining.pdf http://www.aasa.dshs.wa.gov/aps/training/reporters To report abuse: Daytime: Contact a local CA CPS office. A local CPS office can be located on the following link: https://fortress.wa.gov/dshs/f2ws03apps/caofficespub/offices/general/Office Pick.asp Nights & Weekends: Call the Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-866ENDHARM (1-866-363- 4276). This number is Washington Stateʼs toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day-a-week hotline for reporting suspected child abuse or neglect.

Best Practices Specifics for creating an emotionally safe environment: • Create community agreements • Pair & share (also called “turn and talk”- sharing ideas with a neighbor first promotes more participation by youth) 13

• Discussions - cultivate oral culture & relationships • Have youth define their own values and identity and focus on points of pride within their values and identity • Point out our conflict resolution posters and follow strategies for conflict reframing More general ways to promote a safe environment: • Let the youth be an expert in their own experience • Earn their respect, donʼt expect it • Acknowledge and respect that resistance and other behaviors that may be considered unhealthy or inappropriate (by dominant culture) can be indicators of coping and survival mechanisms (fighting back, talking back, challenging your trust, self-harm, depression) • Acknowledge Power Dynamics; be aware of your own power and privilege and how it plays out in a relationship with a youth • Be non-judgmental - Donʼt make assumptions • Donʼt stereotype or pigeonhole youth • Keep healthy boundaries with youth. Know your role and be clear with a youth on what it is - your role is not to solve young peopleʼs problems or to fill the role of a parent • Be consistent and accountable. If you say you are going to be somewhere or do something, do it, even if the youth does not always follow through • When a young person messes up, makes a mistake, or does not make a smart choice/decision is usually when they need your support the most • Admit when you donʼt know something 14

• Be true to your word - never promise something you canʼt deliver or that is not in your power • Do not take away your support and encouragement as a punishment or consequence. Source: Powerful Voices

Supportive Environment

Adults support youth to learn and grow. Adults support youth with opportunities for active learning, for skill building and to develop healthy relationships.

Positive Girl Culture Rationale: 1. As girls enter puberty and adolescence they are impacted by high amounts of trauma in our society: Puberty, the biological aspect, is not the problem; however the social and psychological impacts of these changes on girls is profound. 2. Intimacy - sharing thoughts and feelings - is the central feature of girlsʼ friendship; yet “horizontal violence” as girls identify more and more with the dominant culture norms of competition becomes more of a 16

problem as girls posit most girls as “other”. This is usually expressed verbally. Best Practices: • Pair & share • Small group discussions • Trust-building games • Modeling positive female relationships • Discussing and critically thinking about messages in media, sexism, and internalized sexism • Breaking down social structure- using different groupings to challenge youth to develop new relationships. Point out the opportunity and challenge of collaborating with peers they donʼt know • Relational Theory of Development o Successful growth for women is the development of healthy relationships (vs. growth for men which is individuation) o Women see the world through a care orientation; taking care of others o Breakdowns in relationships can lead to self harming and selfdestructive behaviors Source: Powerful Voices

Personal Power Rationale: Some girls who do not want to be leaders attribute their lack of motivation to fear of being laughed at, making people mad at them, coming across as bossy, or not being liked by people. These barriers make clear that some girls still struggle with pressure to conform to traditional female gender 17

stereotypes which include behaviors like being nice, quiet, polite, agreeable, and liked by all. Best Practices: • Strengths-based model: Find a way to turn “bad behaviors” into a strength: i.e. GIRL: “People say ʻI am loud and bossyʼ” YOU: “You have a strong voice and are a great leader”; help undo socialized messages. • Support girls in identifying their own strengths and power • Promoting healthy interaction: provide opportunities for youth to peer mentor, teach others, and facilitate discussion and activities in groups. • Promoting engagement (also called “voice and choice”): provide choices to practice healthy decision-making. • Get rid of your ego - Ask for feedback from them on how you can improve in what you do and how you interact with and treat young people. • One on Ones - develop an individual relationship with a girl and refer her out to programs and resources she feels passionate about • AFFIRM, AFFIRM, AFFIRM! Source: Powerful Voices

Responding to Bigoted Words Challenging bigoted and offensive remarks is critical to ensuring dignity and respect for all people. Below are step-by-step strategies that can assist you if you find yourself in situations where such remarks are made. Think: Explore your understanding of the situation. Take a moment to reflect on what was said and why you consider it to be prejudicial: What was just said? Do an emotional check-in. Consider your own emotions and if you can respond effectively immediately or if you need to take time to do so effectively. Ensure your safety. Is this something to which you can safely respond to immediately or do you need to walk away and address the matter in another way? Do you need to seek assistance or support from someone else to intervene? Personal safety is of utmost importance. Be clear about what you want to accomplish. Know what your intentions are, as they will influence the outcome of any responses: Is this a â&#x20AC;&#x153;teachable momentâ&#x20AC;?? Do I want this person to understand the impact of those words? Try to start from an assumption of good will. Be aware that some people are acting out of ignorance and will respond defensively when told their words have been perceived as prejudicial. Act: Address your concerns. Whether done immediately or later, in public or in private, consider letting the person know that the words he or she used were hurtful or offensive: What did you mean by what you said? That sounded to me like a stereotype. Do you understand why that was so hurtful? Engage in respectful dialogue. Particularly when youĘźre talking to someone you know. People tend to listen better and be more open when they know that they matter to the person who is speaking. Begin the conversation by communicating that you value and are committed to your relationship with the person. Communicate your concerns without accusation or attacks. Assist the person in understanding that jokes, slurs and demeaning words are not minor incidents to the person who is on the receiving end. Listen respectfully to the person, but do not minimize the 19

impact of the situation: I want to speak to you, because your friendship is important to me. I want to let you know that what you said hurt me. I do not like such words around me because I think they are offensive and demeaning. Maintain Dignity: Hold people accountable. Sometimes people need to hear more than once that their words are not acceptable. Remind them of previous conversations if they resume their behavior. However, recognize too that there is a line to be drawn, and if necessary, let them know that their actions have consequences, in the form of lost friendships or reports to school administrators, supervisors or other authority figures. Remember your “rights”. Although your do not have the right to dictate other peopleʼs sense of humor or how they speak, you do have the right to request that this type of humor not be used in your presence. Source: Anti-Defamation League

I Didn’t Mean It Like That Challenging Your Own Biases Anyone, even those who use their words carefully, may find themselves inadvertently using language or making insensitive comments that hurt others. While the intent may be benign or even neutral, the impact of the words my deeply affect the listener enough for him or her to respond. In such situations, it is easy to get defensive and say, “Thatʼs not what I meant” or “Youʼre taking it the wrong way.” However, recognizing that all people have biases – developed consciously and unconsciously through socialization, education and media exposure – can help to create opportunities for us to “unlearn” biases and to check ourselves for stereotypes or misinformation that we may hold about people with backgrounds different from our own. 1. Acknowledge your own feelings. Note how being accused makes you feel. Accusations of prejudice can bring up a variety of emotions including hurt, frustration, anger, resentment and guilt. Take time to explore and address your feelings before taking action. 2. Acknowledge the personʼs comments and feelings. 20

Making sure the person feels heard is the first step to effective communication about the issue at hand: “I understand that you feel my words were prejudiced or unfair, and that concerns me.” Gather information. Ensure that you understand the personʼs perception. Whether or not the perception is based on reality, it is important to remember that it feels real to the person and needs to be addressed. Remember that the effects of prejudice are cumulative. It may be that the person had multiple experiences over-time that were perceived as being prejudiced and is reacting to you based upon this cumulative experience. 3. Assess the situation. Based on your observations and conversations, determine the personʼs underlying needs. Respond with respect. Understand that even though your behavior may not have been intended as biased, it was perceived as biased. Try to avoid becoming defensive since defensiveness can block communication. Use the conflict as an opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings. 4. Do not immediately dismiss the accusation. Look at the situation and yourself honestly. It if turns out that your behavior was consciously or unconsciously prejudicial or unfair allow yourself to reflect on the incident. Be willing to acknowledge what happened and modify your behavior accordingly. Remember that all people have biases. Being willing to admit when you are wrong is a powerful strategy to promote a respectful, inclusive environment. Source: Anti-Defamation League

Interaction

This is about the peer culture that exists in a program, and what adults can do to positively affect that culture. Youth support each other. Youth experience a sense of belonging. Youth participate in small groups as members and as leaders. Youth have opportunities to partner with adults.

Activism Rationale: 39% of adolescent girls want to be leaders, and that the desire for leadership is higher among African-American (53%), Latina (50%) and Asian-American (59%) compared to white girls (34%) Best Practices: • Help develop critical thinking about social issues • Cultivate partners that are trained in social justice issues & activism • Provide girls with opportunities, resources, employment and skills to build an activist lens and self confidence • Help create safe spaces for youth voices to be heard and respected 22

Source: Powerful Voices

Communication Listening and responding Mentors can influence to a great extent the way participants listen and respond to one another by the way they interact verbally and nonverbally with them. A. Redirect questions instead of answering them yourself. When you are asked a question that could be answered by a member of your group, fight that impulse to do the easy thing and answer yourself. You could help foster teen-to-teen interaction by replying “Yes, thatʼs an important question. Who has some ideas about it?” B. Use redirection when group members arenʼt listening to one another. Redirecting questions can be used to encourage members to listen closely to one another. To protect the non-listening member from being embarrassed, it is good to repeat the question for him/her and pose it in a supportive fashion. He/she will get your message, and so will the others. C. Reward only the behavior you want to encourage. You should monitor closely the kind of behavior you reward with your smiles and nods of approval. You can use praise to encourage all the kinds of listening and responding behavior that you deem to be healthy for communication. When the facilitator praises an act (not an opinion or belief) by a member, the member usually gets a warm, fuzzy, glowing feeling inside and attempts to repeat that behavior as often as possible. D. Look at the speaker and signal that you are listening (and not judging). To help keep the focus on the speaker, look directly into the eyes of the person who is speaking. This will show the speaker that you are paying full attention and care about what is being shared. Nod your head frequently as a signal that you are receiving the message, even if you do not agree with the content of what is being said. It is amazing how eye contact and a nod can encourage a speaker, and how fast averted or rolled eyes or a turned head can make a speaker feel worthless.

E. Respond to “feeling” messages. The feelings conveyed in an exchange in the small group are frequently as important as the verbal message itself. To understand the feelings conveyed in a message, ask yourself, “How is this person feeling?” Is she angry, hurt, afraid, pleased, smug, uncertain, annoyed, embarrassed, nervous, or enthusiastic? Often nonverbal clues will help you perceive the speakerʼs feelings. Look at the individualʼs posture and gestures, listen to the tone of voice and the look in her eyes. Ask yourself, “How would I feel if I were saying that?” When you think you perceive these feelings, respond to them. Usually this can be done with a simple statement such as “I sense that you are angry with me because I wouldnʼt let you change groups. Is that true?” The TONE of voice you use in making such a statement is extremely important. You should try to communicate support and warmth. Be careful not to sound surprised by the feelings, or disapproving of them. Use a gentle tone of voice, one that expresses caring rather than judging. F. Making linking (synthesizing) statements in discussions. You can model good responding behavior by deliberately making linking statements to pull unrelated thoughts together. Source: Developing Effective Classroom Groups by Gene Stanford

Tips for Strength-Based Approaches and Language • Check your privilege: when you work with youth, be aware of how adultism and ageism can affect your approach. • Your role is not to be “friends” with youth. Youth are seeking structure and want adults to mirror back healthy choices and boundaries without being judged or told what to do. • Mirror back to youth what you observe and/or hear from them (“Sportscasting”: I see you got the tripod plate onto the camera and now youʼre attaching the camera to the tripod.”)

• Acknowledge, respect, and trust a youthʼs experience: their strengths, talents, cultures they identify with, etc. Focus on these rather than judge, and/or state concern about their feelings, choices, actions, and reactions. • BE AWARE OF YOUR OWN JUDGEMENTS, ASSUMPTIONS, & VALUES. If you think a youth is engaging in risky behavior, itʼs better to support them in identifying their own behavior and determine why/how itʼs risky by asking them open-ended questions. For example instead of saying “I worry about how much you are smoking weed because itʼs bad for you and can get you in trouble” ask “You have talked about smoking weed; what do you like about it? How is it affecting you? What consequences have happened from your smoking?” • Avoid words like AND, BUT, HOWEVER, etc. For example when you say, “I think you are strong but you let people walk all over you”, the compliment is negated by the “but” and usually people focus only on the constructive criticism that follows the initial compliment. • Avoid saying I BELIEVE, I THINK, I FEEL. Be direct and state observations as a fact not what you think, perceive, assume, etc. • When giving a compliment or positive feedback, BE SPECIFIC! For example, instead of saying “I think you are so smart” say “You are smart because you think before you speak, ask lots of questions, and I can tell you are passionate about the subject you are learning about”. • BE PREPARED, think about what you want to say beforehand and how you can utilize strength-based language. Source: Powerful Voices

Engagement When young people feel safe and experience a sense of belonging this clears the way for them to experience challenge and pursue learning. The engagement subscale measures whether youth have opportunities to plan, make choices, and reflect and learn from their experiences.

Observing Listening and watching what is going on Observing is important in terms of trying to identify objectively what is going on at any given time in your group. Mentors need to observe their group to determine if the members of the group are engaged in behavior that would help the group attain its goals. Your close observation of the interaction within your group may lead you to feel that you must intervene. Unexpected things happen when a group is working together. Someone is offended by something. A small group gets excited about working on a particular issue when everyone else is ready for 26

something else. An argument breaks out. The behavior expectations or community agreements are violated.

Intervention Sometimes this means simply getting past the obstacle as soon as possible. Sometimes what appears to be an obstacle becomes a productive experience (teachable moment) because of an intervention. A. Describing what you see. A very simple intervention is to report to the group your perception of what is happening without any judging or suggested course of action. “I hear us talking more about our dislikes than about our fears.” “I sense that tempers are rising.” “We seem to be having a hard time getting into this activity.” The group can then focus on the obstacle and arrive at a solution. This also builds their commitment to the group and their group work skills. B. Asking for help. A stronger intervention involves describing what is going on, reporting your feelings, and appealing to the group for a decision. The questions – “Does anyone feel the same way?” or “How many of you feel that way?” are mild appeals. To ask “Canʼt we do something about that?” is a stronger appeal. C. Other stronger interventions may include: • Touching: Anything from reaching out to someone who is upset to separating combatants. • Verbal censure: Comments from “I think what you are doing doesnʼt fit the situation,” to “I feel as though your behavior is being disruptive to the group.” • Reinforcing limits: “Neither of you is following the behavior expectation of allowing Jennifer to pass without question.”

Strong action is usually the last resort, implemented only to avert a potentially destructive situation or to protect the participant. Caution should be exercised. If you need to use strong intervention you should immediately contact the Reel Grrls program facilitator. Program facilitators and other Reel Grrls staff can also help you set up a conflict reframing meeting with the group to try to resolve the conflict. Source: Developing Effective Classroom Groups by Gene Stanford

Thank You! Thank you again for mentoring at Reel Grrls! We hope that this resource handbook is useful to you. We strive to make the programs at Reel Grrls a positive experience for the participants as well as the mentors, and your feedback is an essential part of that process. Please let us know how the Reel Grrls始 staff can further lend you support!

*This document is adapted from Powerful Voices volunteer agreement and from YPQA training guide.

This Mentor Handbook was revised in June 2013 and will be reviewed again in June 2014. Copy by Ruth Keating-Lockwood. Illustrations by Clyde Petersen. Booklet Design & Layout by Bronwyn Lewis.