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More than mentorship
Youth under 25 paired with Order of Canada recipients in Governor General-run program
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
ANTIGONISH, N.S. (CUP) — For the second year in a row, the office of the Governor General is running a mentorship program like no other — by pairing young Canadians with recipients Order of Canada.
Now in its second year, students participating in the Order of Canada Mentorship Program are calling it an “incredible opportunity.”
In 2008, Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean initiated the program to pair young Canadian adults between the ages of 18 to 25 with recipients of the Order of Canada.
Explaining her motivation behind the program in an official statement, the Governor General expressed her desire to encourage up-and-coming young people.
“I see youth . . . as a living strength that embodies the very values of altruism and compassion that we cherish. It is for this reason that the idea of connecting young Canadian leaders with members of the Order came so easily.”
Pierre-Andre Doucet, a 21-year-old participant from New Brunswick, says the program is a great opportunity and wants other university students to apply.
“It truly is an incredible opportunity to meet and exchange with these Canadians who have always strived to make our country a better place. It’s a very flexible program, so you put in or take out what you want or can. (There is) no need to worry about time commitments, or busy schedules,” explains Doucet, who attends l’Université de Montréal.
Created in 1967, the Order of Canada is the highest honour awarded to Canadian citizens. It is bestowed in recognition of outstanding achievement.
Participants and their mentors exchange correspondence through blogs and discussion forums. These roundtables appear on-line on the Governor General’s Citizen Voices website.
Youth participating in the program selected on the basis of their community involvement and strength of their responses to a series of essays.
Doucet is a classically-trained pianist and budding author. As an Acadian, he is also involved in organizations that promote the French language and Francophone culture in Canada.
Because of this background, he was paired with Antonine Maillet, an Acadian author known internationally for her character La Sagouine.
Doucet was happy with the compatibility of the mentor with whom he was paired.
“My application was three-pronged, — heavy on my involvement in Francophone community organizations, as well as on my developing skills as an author and as a pianist. Antonine Maillet . . . really represents a perfect fit for me.”
His mentor, he said, is readily available for advice.
“We talk and meet about once a month, and discuss all sorts of things: studying, writing, opportunities, choices. It’s a very open-ended and unrestrictive relationship.”
“Our relationship hasn’t been as much a ‘giving-taking’ one as a ‘mutual exchange.’ We’ve shared about our similar experiences, about our similar backgrounds. I’d have to say that the advice she has given me has been mostly about life as an artist, and how to approach it. In the end, I think that’s what I was looking for from the program,” he says.
Applications for the program are due typically in September. Candidates who are short-listed are then vetted by an independent committee; there is no interview process.
Doucet says that young people from any background should apply.
“The group of (participants) is quite varied, so in my opinion, they weren’t looking for any specific qualities. There are scientists, students, journalists, scouts, musicians, artists, (and) social workers. I think the only quality (that) they were really looking for is the ability and the desire to learn and exchange.”
The application process takes approximately two months, with the winners beginning their mentoring in November.
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