Deadline: December 4, 2014
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has launched an exciting new opportunity for people who want to mentor youth-led organizations from around the world and help them to become active citizens in their communities and bring about global change. This is a unique opportunity for grassroots, experts and consultants to work with top youth groups globally, and take youth empowerment to the next level. As a mentor you will be an official part of our UN-Habitat Urban Youth Fund community, with access to a global network of emerging youth leaders.
About
The UN-Habitat Urban Youth Fund empower global youth by providing grants and capacity building to selected organizations in developing countries. Yearly, more than 8,000 youth-led organizations apply for a grant of up to $25,000. Approximately 40 organizations were selected this year to receive a grant, training and ongoing support. These youth-led groups span various sectors, from technology and agriculture to governance, education and poverty reduction.
Benefit to Mentors
The UN-Habitat Urban Youth Fund seeks to select mentors to guide their youth-led organizations to realize their full potential.
- Once appointed, the individual will be an official part of our UN-Habitat Urban Youth Fund community, with access to a global network of mentors and emerging youth leaders.
- While unpaid, mentors will receive recognition from the UN-Habitat with an announcement through their communication channels and will make a direct impact on meaningful projects aligning with their interest areas.
Expectations and Responsibilities
While all mentors are volunteers, the UN holds all of its volunteers to high ethical and work standards. The ideal mentors will see this as a long-term (year+) commitment—one that nurtures them while providing invaluable resources to the organizations they guide.
The mentors should expect to:
- Commit a minimum of 6 hours per month
- Guide the project coordinator on a range of areas, including project management, fundraising, budgeting, and media and operations issues
- Coordinate with the UN-Habitat Urban Youth Fund team on complex matters and give regular updates
- Provide a structure and a summary for each meeting
- Provide a quarterly evaluation of the organization
- Participate in a global mentor online forum
- Offer specific, constructive feedback while motivating the youth-led organization
- Read the UN-Habitat Urban Youth Fund’s project management materials (fewer than 50 pages) and deliver feedback consistent with its recommended best practices
Eligibility and Criteria
UN-Habitat is seeking mentors to guide and inspire youth leaders through regular Skype and email communication. The mentors will support strategic visions while also providing tactical, hands-on feedback, creating clarity and accountability and advancing key project success metrics. Successful mentors will have many or most of the following qualities:
- Ability to offer specific, clear and constructive recommendations to resource-constrained projects
- A passion for working with and guiding young people and youth leaders, especially at the grassroots level
- An understanding of how to support teams facing economic or political uncertainties
- A track-record of managing teams and navigating multicultural challenges
- Fluency in at least one of the following languages: Spanish, English, or French. The following additional language skills are desirable: Portuguese, Hindi, Urdu, and Arabic
- Ability to deliver clear and consistent bi-weekly updates to the UN-Habitat Youth Fund
- Ability to coach on fundraising and growth initiatives
- Five years of experience in project management
- Working in developing countries or underserved communities is a plus
How to Apply
To apply simply answer the questions below and send your resume to [email protected]. UN-Habitat Urban Youth Fund will review all applications and set appointments for Skype interviews with select candidates.
Key Questions:
- Why do you want to be a mentor for UN-Habitat Urban Youth Fund?
- What personal or professional experiences prepare you for this work?
- What is your level of interest in interacting with and enriching other Urban Youth Fund mentors?
- For how long can you commit?
- Do you have any questions or concerns regarding this opportunity?
- What do you hope to gain from this opportunity?
For more information, visit UN-Habitat Urban Youth Fund Mentorship Programme.
