Applications are now OPEN for the Mentorship Pod Program Spring 2024!
Program starts the week of February 12th!
Should you ever have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to email us at: thssmpp@gmail.com
Mentor benefits
Give back to teachHOUSTON
Make more friends in the program
Give advice you would’ve liked to hear
Gain leadership experience
Build your resume
Earn up to 4 community service (CS) credits*
Mentee benefits
Get connected with a more-experienced peer
Make more friends in the program
Get advice on future courses
Receive academic support
Receive assistance with your lessons, projects, etc.
Earn up to 4 professional development (PD) credits*
Mentor Qualifications
Any student in teachHOUSTON who has completed Intro to STEM Education and Knowing and Learning can apply to be a mentor. You DO NOT need to be a member of the teachHOUSTON Student Society to apply. Upon submitting your application, verification may be requested to prove you have met the course requirements.
Mentee Qualifications
Any student in teachHOUSTON can apply to be a mentee. You do not need to be a member of the teachHOUSTON Student Society to apply. Though this program was mostly designed for students who are new to teachHOUSTON, any student at any stage of the program can apply to be a mentee.
Program Applications
MP² Applications for Spring 2024 are now OPEN!
If you have any questions, please email us at: thssmpp@gmail.com
*The total number of community service (CS) or professional development (PD) credits a student earns is dependent on the number of weekly mentoring pod meetings they attend throughout the semester. Mentoring pods will last 8 weeks and each weekly meeting will count as ½ a PD/CS credit. Thus, the mentor or mentee can only obtain the full 4 credits if they attend every weekly meeting. Absences will result in less than 4 credits.
*Mentor and Mentees can gain more PD Credits by attending the PD Workshops.
Mentorship POD assignments
Mentors and mentees will be placed in mentoring pods comprised of 2 mentors and 1-2 mentees. Assignments will be made based on personal preferences listed in each mentee’s application. If a mentee does not indicate any preferences, factors we take into consideration are age, major, hobbies, career interests, etc. Pod assignments are not permanent; mentees may switch pods upon request.
Pods meet in a private channel for MP2 mentors/mentees within the teachHOUSTON Microsoft Team. Pods must meet in this channel, rather than Zoom or a separate Team/channel, at least once a week for 30 minutes for 8 weeks (unless you meet in-person). Weekly agendas will be shared with all mentors which outline activities to do or topics to discuss with mentees. Topics may include goal setting, course schedule planning, lesson planning assistance, and more. Please know that mentoring pods are not limited to these weekly topics; pods are encouraged to discuss any subject that mentees will find valuable to them.
After each meeting, one mentor from each pod must submit a Post-Meeting Check-In Form (scroll to view) providing feedback and uploading the downloaded Excel file from Teams listing the meeting attendance in order for officers to assign PD/CS credit.
The forms below should ONLY be filled and submitted by current mentors and/or mentees of MP2
For any questions or concerns, please reach me at: thssmpp@gmail.com
social gatherings
interpod Socials
Three to four times throughout the semester, mentoring pods will have the opportunity to mingle with other pods. These are casual hangouts (coordinated by different pods in the program) where mentors and mentees of different pods come together and get to know each other by doing fun activities, playing virtual games, or just chatting! Should your pod ever be interested in hosting an interpod social, please reach out to me through email ASAP at least 1-2 weeks before planned date, so we can coordinate and advertise accordingly.
These events are completely optional and not required.
MPP Founding
Read a little bit about the history of the Mentorship Pod Program and its successes!
In October of 2020, the teachHOUSTON Student Society launched a mentorship program for students in teachHOUSTON. The program was an immediate success, with 14 mentors and 21 mentees participating in its pilot phase. The inaugural cohort of 35 students voted on the program's permanent name: Mentorship Pod Program (also commonly referred to as MPP or MP2).
In Spring of 2021, it was decided that the mentorship pod program held enormous value to the teachHOUSTON Student Society, and was officially amended to the constitution. With this, a new governing board position was established; the Director of Mentorship. It was also a momentous semester, for the members of the mentorship pod program voted on our first ever logo (shown above)!
Have any questions about MP² ? Please feel free to email the Director of Mentorship with your questions!
You will receive a response within 1-3 business days, if you do not, reach out again as your email may have been lost.
Email: tHSSmpp@gmail.com.