How technology is changing the way we support students.
Not long ago, if you mentored a young person, you had to set aside hours to meet and follow specific guidelines related to an agenda for each meeting. It was involved, time consuming and — in some cases — rigorous.
Today, Backrs is using technology to change how caring adults support students. With virtual mentoring, we are creating networked communities of mentors — we call backrs — who offer students feedback, guidance, and access to social networks that can change their educational and career trajectories.
Backrs Meets Students — And Busy Adults — Where They’re At
As digital natives, we know our proteges — who range in age from 15 to 24 — have technology at their fingertips. And they want to connect quickly and seamlessly using virtual tools, such as WhatsApp for text chains, with friends and family, or TikTok for social interactions.
With a multitude of options available to our proteges, Backrs seeks to build a mentoring framework around instantaneous connection. That is why we’ve brought mentoring into the 21st century, meeting students — and adults — where they're at. We’ve tossed out the outdated model of formal in-person meetings in favor of virtual, yet deeply valuable, connections.
Location is not prohibitive: Our backrs and proteges can live anywhere in the United States and still participate in virtual mentoring.
Participation is easy: Both parties connect online when it’s convenient, removing barriers such as fitting meetings into tight schedules and setting aside time to travel to agreed-upon locations.
Interactions are a breeze: “Meetings” can take less than 10 minutes and may be as frequent as the backr and protege would like. Connections may consist of quick texts or DM’s that are answered asynchronously — at either parties earliest convenience.
Connecting is flexible: Virtual mentoring can happen when it makes sense and is most beneficial for proteges and backrs. Interactions may take place between work meetings, during coffee breaks, after putting the kids to bed, or anytime both parties are available. Backrs provides flexibility, building more relaxed and empowering relationships.
Proteges shape interactions: Our proteges choose the best way to work with their team of backrs.Then, the team collaborates and connects. That may look like a protege asking a quick question in the Backrs app or requesting a weekly check-in with their backrs. Proteges are empowered to ask for the support they need to be successful.
Backing Offers Highly-Impactful Participation
Imagine this scenario: In a traditional mentor-mentee relationship, you meet face-to-face with a protege — maybe once or twice a month. When you meet, your protege has many questions, but you may not be prepared or have immediate answers. You take in their requests and questions, jotting them down or making mental notes. You plan to return to your next meeting with answers. But, life happens, and you get busy. When you see your protege, those questions are either forgotten or seemingly irrelevant. If a protege is expecting feedback, but receives none, this can have potentially damaging effects on your relationship.
With virtual mentoring, you can respond in the moment — or as soon as you have time to pause, reflect, and respond. No matter the situation that arises. Whether a protege is seeking a resource, an answer to a question, or an introduction to a network connection, you can quickly find the information and send it off, immediately helping them when they need it most.
There is no limit to the amount of assistance you can offer or the frequency with which you “connect.” If you don’t have an answer in the moment, you have the flexibility to pause, reflect and gather your thoughts before responding, which shows a level of thoughtfulness and care that will positively impact your long-term relationship with your protege.
Whether using chat, group texts, or virtual meeting tools, you have the opportunity to be fully present when it’s most helpful for your protege. If they need guidance with a resume or a school project, you can be their cheerleader and thought partner, supporting their pursuits.
What continues to be most important for a protege is knowing they have someone who cares about them, who will listen, read, and respond. Virtual mentoring meets this need. As this article in the Chronicle of Evidence Based Mentoring points out, in some situations, proteges may prefer writing (texting/email) over talking. Virtual mentoring offers our proteges flexibility in how they choose to connect with their team of backrs.
Building a personalized network of support
Proteges choose a diverse team of four to six backrs ranging in age, career paths, and interests. Having a diverse team benefits both the backrs and the protege.
Because a protege has several backrs supporting them through virtual mentoring, one backr doesn’t need to be all things to their protege. Each backr brings unique talents and knowledge to the relationship.
This diversity is beneficial, particularly when it comes to sharing information and interests aligned with their protege’s educational and career goals. For example, if a protege has an interest in STEM, and a backr works in a related field, they can work together, ensuring the protege meets specific, targeted goals, whether they're related to their education or career path.
Each backr puts their expertise to use, assisting their protege and guiding them toward achieving desired outcomes. For example, a backr with a career in finance can help their protege create a budget, while another backr with a human resources background might help them craft a strong resume. Each backr brings unique skills and experiences to the table, which takes the protege-backr relationship to a new level.
Technology makes it possible for a backr to share more than just guidance — they can also share experiences and opportunities — even remotely. Whether a backr shares a short video or a live stream from a workshop or event, it’s possible to create dynamic connections that engage and enlighten.
Virtual Mentoring Bridges The Digital Divide
Technology is woven into every aspect of our lives, and it’s easy to forget there is a difference between using it passively, for example, to watch cat videos — and who doesn’t love a good cat video — and using it as a tool for networking and collaboration. A report from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Technology says that while more students from underserved communities have access to technology in schools, there is a disparity in how they use technology.
Backrs bridges that digital gap, providing proteges with opportunities to create connections with caring adults while also learning to use technology for networking purposes, which will be critical to career success.
Research shows there are benefits to networking with people we don’t know very well, and we can also build new relationships when we make cross-class friendships. With guidance from their backrs, our proteges have opportunities to use technology as a tool for collaboration, gaining access and entry to networks and organizations that might have been previously off limits. Our proteges are making priceless connections, ensuring higher success in school and career advancement.
We know that young people benefit from supportive backrs like you. Thanks to technology, virtual mentoring is easier to maintain while juggling other priorities. And our backrs and proteges tell us they are able to create deeply-meaningful and life changing relationships. If you’ve ever considered supporting a young person's journey, find out how Backrs can help you make an impact in a young person’s life.