Mentorship comes in many forms. At UCV, we strive to create spaces where people of different ages and stages can be together in one community, sharing their gifts and supporting each other. In the past we’ve had neighbourhood groups and extended family groups so that people can build intergenerational connections, as well as one-on-one mentorship relationships with longtime members and newcomers. And of course, every Spring we have our Mystery Pals program where children, adults, and elders are matched as anonymous penpals. The Mystery Pal reveal party is always a good time. If you are interested in any of these forms of mentorship, please talk to Kiersten, Olivia, or Derrick or use the contact form below.
Coming of Age
The most structured mentorship program at UCV is Coming of Age for 12-13 year olds. CoA is found in most Unitarian Universalist congregations. Adults from the congregation are paired with a child going through the program, which lasts for a full year. CoA is meant to accompany children at a pivotal moment in their lives, when they have questions about everything – but at the same time, are just starting to find out that they hold some of the answers. At the end of Coming of Age, participants bridge into Youth Group. Often the relationships between youth and the adults who mentored them in their CoA year continue for the rest of their adolescence, and are treasured by both mentor and mentee!
More information can be found on the CoA youth program page. We usually run Coming of Age once every 2-3 years.