LGBTQIA Peer Mentor Program
The LGBTQ+ Mentorship Program provides a space for you to meet new friends and learn more about the LGBTQ community at the University of North Dakota. Mentors are here to help you navigate campus and get you connected to resources that will help you make the most of your experience at UND. Our mentors can show you around campus, connect you with other students, talk about your experiences and share theirs, or just be a friend when navigating tough issues.
Become a Mentor
Interested in becoming a Peer Mentor? Our Peer Mentors meet regularly with their mentees and attend monthly social gatherings. Each of our Peer Mentors are assigned to a Faculty/Staff Mentor who provide additional support. Peer Mentors are required to attend Peer Mentor Training.
Are you a Faculty or Staff member and would like to serve as a mentor to one or more of our Peer Mentors? Our Faculty and Staff Mentors provide support for Peer Mentors to help with resource navigation, tough conversations, or help facilitate discussion between Peer Mentors and their mentees. Faculty and Staff Mentors regularly meet with their assigned Peer Mentor(s) and attend Monthly social gatherings. If interested in becoming a Faculty or Staff Mentor, contact the LGBTQ Coordinator.
As a mentor, I get to be the person I wish I had while growing up queer.
FAQ
Our goal is to pair new program participants with a Peer Mentor/Mentee as soon as possible, timing may vary. On average, participants are introduced to their mentor/mentee within a week of signing up for the program.
The mentorship program is designed to be flexible; at minimum, mentors and mentees need to meet once per month. Peer Mentors and Mentees will decide how often to communicate or have additional meetings.
It depends on the individual participants. Some Peer Mentors and mentees work for several years, for some just one academic year. Commitment to the pairing will end at the end of each academic year, when you will be invited to continue with your assigned Peer Mentor/Mentee or be matched with another Peer Mentor/Mentee.
Sometimes Peer Mentor and Mentee personalities clash and the pairing does not work out, that is completely okay. The Program Coordinator will help facilitate a change.
The LGBTQ+ Mentorship Program is not a substitute for mental health services. Anyone who may be struggling with mental health concerns including, but not limited to, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, or other forms of harassment or abuse are encouraged to contact a provider of their choice.
Available UND resources include Student Health Services, University Counseling Center, Northern Prairie Community Clinic, and Community Violence Intervention Center. A variety of local community resources are also available.