Why Black girls and Black women?
In this month’s blog, we explore more about why The Catalyst model is designed to focus specifically on the experiences of Black women and Black girls. I know I can be a confident Black girl in the future. It all starts now.’ – Catalyst Mentee, Cohort 2021-22 These are the words of a mentee who will be starting our programme in September, and we think she perfectly encapsulates what we want to achieve. The Catalyst Collective matches Black women with Black girls for meaningful mentoring relationships. But, we are often asked, why does our programme focus specifically on Black women and girls? A lack of emphasis on the specific needs of young Black women often leads to grouping students together in a way that masks significant differences in key outcomes. We know that young Black people as a whole experience some disparities compared to young people from other ethnic groups. For example, Black students have the highest university non-completion rates, and are the least likely to be awarded a 1st class or 2:1 degree classification. Whether our mentees want to go to university, do an apprenticeship or take another path, our programme strives to support their attainment in secondary school and beyond. Mentoring encourages the girls to have high aspirations, and helps them to achieve their goals, step by step. Even within the demographic of young Black people, Black girls have a considerably different lived experience to Black boys. For example, despite the fact that Black girls are more likely to progress to higher education than Black boys, Black women are half as likely as Black men to become professors. In educational and professional spaces, Black women are frequently underrepresented. Therefore, there is a significant lack of positive Black female representation in the lives of most Black female school students. In our pilot cohort, 100% of mentees said that it was important to them to have a mentor that they could identify with, and 100% said they were unlikely, or very unlikely to have had a mentor this year without being offered one through The Catalyst Collective. We recognise the specific experiences of Black women, often facing the ‘double disadvantage’ of racism and sexism. Yet, our mentees are aspirational, with many striving to enter fields where few Black women have gone before. The impact of our mentees having role models that they can identify with is immeasurable. One of our upcoming mentees believes she would really benefit from having a mentor to remind her ‘that being a Black woman going into a male-dominated field isn’t impossible.’ This is why we deliver a powerful and tailored intervention to young Black women through our mentoring programme.
My Catalyst Summer
With summer now a distant memory, our first ever Summer Programme Intern, Amara Agwo reflects back on her 6 weeks interning with the Catalyst. Faced with a long summer in the run up to my first year at university, I decided to do something a little different with my time. Through my connection to Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy, The Catalyst’s first partner school, I heard about the programme and wanted to get involved. So, in July, I began my internship. As someone who wants to work in the charity sector in the future, I have found interning with The Catalyst Collective to be a really helpful experience. Right from the start, I felt that my role was valued and meaningful, as I was able to discuss with Chloe what my expectations were and what I hoped to achieve. For example, I mentioned that I enjoy writing, and that I would like to practice these skills in a more professional context. I have now had many opportunities to write articles for this blog that you are reading! I have really enjoyed all the tasks I’ve been working on, as well as the flexibility of my remote internship. There has certainly been no lack of things to do, from helping to match the 2021/22 mentoring cohort, to developing the mentoring resource pack and session plans. The highlight of my internship was definitely the end of year celebration, which I also helped to organise. I found it very moving to hear from the mentors and mentees how the programme had impacted them. It was a chance for me to see the real people behind everything I’d been doing on a screen, and it made me realise the true impact the Catalyst is having. The next exciting step for me is heading to University College London to study European, Social and Political Studies. It will enable me to learn from lots of subject areas that I love, and it will hopefully equip me to make a difference. This has always been my goal, and it is why I feel proud to have been a part of The Catalyst Collective this summer. Although I’m still figuring it out, I know my internship has set a foundation for what I hope to do in the future. And, as a black girl, I am proud to have helped uplift other black women through this programme. I would definitely recommend interning with The Catalyst if you are in year 13 or a university student. It is a great way to gain work experience and develop knowledge and skills whilst having a real impact. Inspired by Amara? If you’re interested in playing a role in Team Catalyst, please get in touch at thecatalyst.mentoring@gmail.com
What a difference a year makes: Celebrating our first cohort!
This August we brought our first ever cohort to a close. Here, we share a video of our brilliant End of Year event, and Amara – our Summer Programme Intern – shares more about the event. Videography by Melissa Morgan Our end of year celebration was the first time that many of our mentoring pairs met in person for the first time, and it was the perfect way to draw our first cohort’s journey to a close. For Ernesta, one of our mentees, the event was a chance “to bond with other mentors and mentees and celebrate the journey that we have all been on.” With balloons hung and food on the table, the scene was set for what turned out to be a magical evening! In between games, mentors and mentees shared about the difference that mentoring had made to their lives. Girls who had previously shied away from public speaking were now expressing their thoughts confidently, sharing the clarity they’d developed on their career path, and the personal growth they attributed to mentoring. Our mentors too had learnt a lot, explaining how inspired they were by their mentees’ character and drive, and how they had really enjoyed the opportunity to be a part of their mentees’ journeys. A few happy tears were shed! The mentoring pairs soon grabbed some props, ready to take polaroid pictures at our makeshift photo booth. As creative and eager as ever, the mentees began to use the photo frames and stickers from their goody bags to decorate their new polaroids, and the mentors soon followed, creating another opportunity for them to bond. “I don’t think there could have been a better event for us to meet our mentors. Everyone had fun and felt comfortable.” – Caitlyn, Mentee 2020-21 We are very grateful to our first cohort for their enthusiastic approach to mentoring, and for how they have shaped The Catalyst over the past 8 months. We also appreciate everyone who contributed to this celebration, from hosting us to doing videography. Thank you all for making the end of year celebration such a fantastic event. Words by Amara Agwo
We’re feeling UnLtd!
We are thrilled to announce that we have received an award from UnLtd, the UK’s foundation for social entrepreneurs! The award provides both start up funding and tailored business support. This will significantly help The Catalyst to widen our positive impact on Black teenage girls across London. At The Catalyst Collective, our mentoring programme aims to uplift the next generation of Black women, creating a ripple effect that reaches into their homes, schools and future workplaces. We firmly believe in the power of mentoring, and are delighted that we’ve bene successful in receiving UnLtd’s support with this vision. Their funding over the next 12 months will help The Catalyst to continue developing, and make this year’s programme the best it can be. It will help us to build and consolidate our programme infrastructure and developing our communication to current and prospective schools, parents and mentors. We’re pleased to be working with a graphic designer to help us express our identity,. We’ll also be fully developing our events programme, including a scaled up End of Year Celebration event and workshops for our mentees. We look forward to benefiting from UnLtd’s bespoke package of support, which will help us monitor our impact and ensure that our organisation is sustainable so many future cohorts of Black girls and Black women will be able to become part of the Collective. Huge thanks to UnLtd for the award, and for being our first funders! We look forward to working with you. If you would like to find out more about UnLtd, please visit their website at https://www.unltd.org.uk/. Words by Amara Agwo
Meet our mentoring matches: Lateesha and Jessica
Each month, we’ll be introducing you to one of our mentoring pairs, so you can hear more about The Catalyst Programme, in their own words. This month, meet Lateesha and Jessica! Jessica has just finished year 11, and attends Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy. Lateesha is a final year PhD student, and Diversity and Inclusion Consultant. Jessica, thinking back to the beginning of the year, what were some of the areas you wanted to develop in? At first, I didn’t have any concrete goals, but I knew I wanted to strengthen areas that were related to confidence, self-discovery, interview prep and learning more about the culture of academia and sixth form. All these things at the time aligned with what I felt I needed the most work on and were what were important to me, so my mentor helped me create SMART goals to meet them. And how have these things changed through the year? How has your mentor been involved with this growth? Many of my goals were met, especially those linked with getting ready for sixth form and developing my confidence. Even when my goals were met, my mentor graciously challenged me. For example, when working with college interview preparations, Lateesha would ask me questions on the spot, then from those questions would branch out onto similar topics. Not only did she help me with my goals, but she did so in a way where every session all goals were being worked towards at the same time. Having a mentor with The Catalyst was an amazing advantage! They understand how to cultivate sessions where in each moment you’re being stretched and challenged. Lateesha, amongst the busyness of this year – working and completing a PhD, how have you continued to make time for mentoring, and why is this something you’re prioritising? Mentoring has been a priority because my mentee and I created a long-term plan with goals that we wanted to build towards. Each month it has been great to see the progress we have made, and this helped keep us really motivated. It really helps to agree to a monthly meeting as this can be scheduled well in advance, and for myself and my mentee we chose the same week every month and slotted those in early. Our approach then was to have some flexibility because life happens, but for the most part our meetings have stayed the same. What have you learned from working with your mentee this year? I have learned that the mentoring process can be really fun and rewarding! Supporting a young person can be as simple as listening and empathising, it really is simpler than you think. There are a lot of connections and similarities between where they are and where you were at their age so you will know what to say to help them along their way. Jessica: We’ve just completed our mentor recruitment for next year’s matches. What advice would you give to these future mentors who are just getting started? What made you decide to take part in the Catalyst? Jessica: Essentially, what made me decide to take part was my need for change. I came to the realisation that my education and my personal life was all my responsibility and as a result, I sent my application in to have a supportive mentor figure who had far more experience than me to provide guidance, motivation and setting goals. Lateesha: Throughout my life, I have benefitted from having trailblazing mentors, and I knew that when I was in a position to support young Black women, I would. I really wanted to pay it forward! Meeting Chloe and hearing more about her approach to mentoring and her vision for Catalyst, I was sold straight away. She brings fresh energy to the mentoring space and so it was a no-brainer to mentor through the Catalyst programme. Any wise words for next year’s mentors? When I first was matched with my mentee, I thought I would have to know everything and have all the answers and that honestly hasn’t been the case. So, my advice is to remember that you don’t have to have all the answers! Your mentees will just appreciate having someone to talk to who listens and supports. And finally, what is something memorable from your year of mentoring? Jessica: One particular moment from my year of mentoring that I will never forget is when I had just been assigned to Lateesha as a mentor. It was a new relationship so we had to start by finding common ground. Lateesha suggested that we take a personality test and funnily enough it turns out we had a similar personality type. It was a fun activity that definitely broke the ice and created more of a safe space for the both of us. Lateesha: I was going to say exactly the same thing! During our first session, we took a personality test and got the exact same result! It was a funny moment that allowed us to relate to and understand each other and meant that we build trust from the very beginning.
Introducing our partner school: Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy
Each month, we’ll introduce you to someone new in our Catalyst Collective. This month, instead of a mentoring pair, meet Carol Murraine! Carol is Head of Operations, Pastoral Care & Safeguarding at Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy, our first ever partner school. Here, she talks a bit more about the experience of working with The Catalyst and what impact the programme has had on their students. When we approached Eastside back in November 2020 and asked to run a mentoring programme with your students, it was brilliant how quickly you were able to mobilise a great cohort of students for us to work with. How did you identifying girls for The Catalyst? Is this a programme where students have to opt in, or do you choose them? For this first year in 2020, we ran an information and application process just for our Year 10s. For this year coming, things have been a little different, and I’ve tendered the opportunity to a selected group of Year 10s at EYLA and boarders. They first had the chance to hear a presentation on the programme including testimonials from girls who had taken part in 20-21, and they applied thereafter. How is The Catalyst Collective different to any other mentoring programmes you’ve come across? It is a clear goal focused programme designed to create high flyers. The programme centres on the mentees aspirations and academic hopes for the future and is no nonsense with the tasks set. Led by confident, black women delivering advice and challenge to our own bright young women, this is a programme unseen for aspiring black girls who usually go unnoticed. Over the last few months, have you noticed any changes in your students from participating in the programme? The young people who took part this year will be attending boarding schools or colleges in September. Each one has been stretched, those who spoke well now speak exceptionally well, and those who led from the back now charge from the front. One of our mentees did not like public speaking because of her diction. The Catalyst has given her the tools and tasks to release her confidence – she now speaks at every opportunity she gets; parent meetings, student inductions, partner school campaigns and that is just to name a few – we are honoured to have the Catalyst agitate greatness out of each mentee using their goal focused challenge and support model. Eastside is already doing so much for and with these young people. How can mentoring act as a complement to the many things already on offer to them? The mentoring builds on the solid foundation we have set, in order for young leaders to discover how much more there is inside. When the mentor looks like you, sounds like you and yet has achieved what you dream of and still has time to push you towards a goal – it is a valuable yet priceless experience. To be supported personally in a trusted, goal focused relationship with the aim of releasing power shapes the way the mentees think about themselves giving them permission to be great. And finally, what advice would you give to the schools considering The Catalyst? Don’t allow your bright black girls to go unnoticed. They are powerhouses waiting to be discovered and carry insecurities, which can be overcome at ease supported by The Catalyst Collective. We are delighted to have partnered with Eastside for our first year, and to have the chance to continue supporting their students into the new school year too! Next year we are working with three excellent partner schools, and we’ll share more details of these over the coming months.
Meet our mentoring matches: Kelsey and Aisha
Each month, we’ll be introducing you to one of our mentoring pairs, so you can hear more about The Catalyst Programme, in their own words. This month, meet Kelsey and Aisha! Aisha is a year 11 student at Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy, our first ever partner school, and Kelsey is a civil servant. Aisha: How has the pandemic impacted this year of school for you? Covid has definitely changed this year. Year 11 is our last year of school, and from year 7 we’ve been thinking this will be the best year. But with Covid, the library is closed, school is closed, no prom, everything is gone or the aspects of school that were fun are all gone. Has it helped to have a mentor? Having a mentor has helped me with maintaining my social skills, has helped me continue to be aware of myself and also has helped me be aware of the responsibilities I have and be accountable for them. While my Mum knows about my mentor, it’s me who has to be responsible for coming to my sessions on time and prepared and that’s the type of practicing of accountability which will help me in college. Kelsey: Is volunteering a part of your normal routine? How does volunteering with the Catalyst support your passions or interests? I used to do a lot of volunteering, and then between a busy job and some caring responsibilities took a large chunk of time out from volunteering. When I had more time on my hands again to start volunteering, I found it really difficult to find projects I genuinely cared about where I could actually add value. Catalyst is extremely specific and I think that’s it’s major value add. It caters to and for Black women, its a for us by us moment. Many of the mentors have probably often been the only Black woman on their team or possibly even in their company, I know I have, and so to be able to guide the next generation of those Black women, so they know what the reality of the workplace might present to them is really important to me. I think volunteering is great generally, but when you can bring something of value which not many other people can, that’s when you find a fit which can be truly mutually beneficial. Kelsey: Speaking of mentoring being mutually beneficial, what are you gaining or learning from having a mentee? Aisha has taught me a lot about myself since joining the programme. We started off by doing a personality test together. It was Aisha’s first time and maybe my 6th time? But it was interesting to see my results had changed since the last time I’d done it and it was especially interesting to do the test with Aisha and speak about what we related to and what we didn’t together. That aside I think generally, as a single professional woman with no children, I curate friends and contacts which reflect experiences similar to my own. So spending time with Aisha, has just taught me to be a little bit less uptight and remember that I’m still young and there is plenty of joy to be had in life. What have you found surprising about taking part in mentoring? Kelsey: To be honest, I really don’t like kids, and so the idea of hanging out with a young person in Year 11 was not thrilling to me. I thought they would think I am boring and uncool and we wouldn’t have anything to talk about. Meeting and working with Aisha has been such a gift, we’ve got along so easily, she reassures me I’m not that uncool and its such a change from my day to day to hear about what is going on with her in school and helping to talk her through all the options she has for what she wants to do with the rest of her life. It’s genuinely a privilege. Aisha: At first I thought it would be boring, “mentor” sounds like a responsibility. But it’s more fun and enjoyable then I thought and it’s quite social. Being able to talk freely and not have to worry about what you are saying, its a very different dynamic to a teacher and a student, its much more casual and social. And finally, Aisha – what advice would you give to someone in the year below you considering having a Catalyst mentor? Have fun with the opportunity and really make the most of it. It’s important to be accountable and responsible but also to have fun and enjoy your life. Just take advantage of any opportunity which has been given to you.
Meet our Mentoring Matches: Chloe and Emmanuella
Each month, we’ll be introducing you to one of our mentoring pairs, so you can hear more about The Catalyst Programme, in their own words. This month, meet Chloe and Emmanuella! Emmanuella is a year 11 student at Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy, our partner school and Chloe is a civil servant, PhD student and the founder and Director of The Catalyst Collective! This month, they shared a little about their interests, their priorities, and what they’re getting out of the mentoring programme so far. Emmanuella: This year school has been on then off and then back on again! Now you’re back in school full time, how are you finding it organising mentoring meetings on top of homework, revision, GCSEs and life…? It’s not been too bad! This year is very busy, but mentoring is also only one meeting every month so it doesn’t get in the way of other things I have going on with school. I’ve also noticed that having a mentor has definitely helped me get more organised, especially in terms of future planning. Before I had a jumbled image of what I wanted to do in the future, but now I’m thinking in a much more organised way. It’s been fun developing those skills with my mentor – we’re not going too fast or too slow. Chloe: When you designed the Catalyst mentoring programme, the intention was that it was always going to be genuinely mutual. So, what are you gaining or learning from having a mentee? I’ve known Emmanuella for years now, so for me this answer is a little different. I have absolutely loved seeing her develop and grow, and I am learning a lot about resilience from seeing her navigate the constant changes that Covid-19 has brought to teenagers lives. As well as that, Emmanuella’s career interests and aspirations are completely different to mine, she is a scientist and I am not! So working together to explore her future options has taught me a lot about career pathways I didn’t know before. What advice would you both give to someone considering being involved in the Catalyst programme next year? Emmanuella: Don’t close yourself off to different opportunities! Be as open as possible so you can get the most out of it. It’s only an hour a month but it really helps you make progress towards your future. Chloe: Well, I’m very biased but I think Emmanuella is right and her advice applies for mentors too. You’d be amazed what you can get done in an hour a month – if I wasn’t doing this, I would only have been watching TV! I think this programme can work with just about anyone’s schedule, however busy. What have you both found surprising or interesting about having a mentee or mentor? Chloe: Most things have been interesting to me! There’s always such a big gap between how an adult things young people will act, think or be, and how they actually are. I’m always surprised and impressed by Emmanuella’s resilience, maturity and ability to take big decisions! Emmanuella: I think its the same for me. Getting a mentor, you have an image of what an adult will be like but Chloe’s a lot more personable than the average adult. Chloe: Thanks… I think?! What’s the most interesting activity you’ve done together as a pair? Emmanuella: We had a session where we had a visitor – Rachel. She is a final year engineering student and another Black woman so she gave such a helpful overview of getting from GCSEs to where she is now. It was really nice to meet someone who had a similar career path to me and have a conversation. And finally, the Catalyst model is all about matching Black women with Black teenagers. Why does that matter? Emmanuella: It really does make a difference. I think its important because you can relate with them a lot easier. It’s easier to see yourself in the person sitting in front of you. It’s a lot more realistic and it makes you realise you can achieve the same sorts of things! Our pairs are at their halfway mark already! We’ll keep checking in as they draw their mentoring year to a close at the end of the summer term, and see all they’ve achieved together.
Meet our Mentoring Matches: Judith and Caitlyn
Each month, we’ll be introducing you to one of our mentoring pairs, so you can hear more about The Catalyst Programme, in their own words. This month, meet Judith and Caitlyn! Caitlyn is a year 11 student at Eastside Young Leaders’ Academy, our partner school and Judith is a doctor. This month, they shared a little about their interests, their priorities, and what they’re getting out of the mentoring programme so far. Caitlyn: Year 11 is a busy year and this one has been stranger than most! How are you managing to fit in mentoring alongside everything else you have going on? Why have you decided to prioritise having a mentor? Personally, it hasn’t been hard to fit in mentoring and school, because I feel that I am not being put under too much pressure in our mentoring sessions, and that it is important to my future. I find our sessions productive and helpful. I decided to prioritise having a mentor because it is helping me beyond my GCSEs and allowing me to focus on A-levels and university, in order to achieve my goal of becoming a doctor. Judith: You’re in the midst of your GP training and have a lot of existing commitments! Why have you made time for mentoring too? Is this a new experience for you? I have made time for mentoring because I feel that it is important to be able to provide support and inspiration to young people, and to help them reach their potential. When I was younger, I didn’t have access to a mentor with whom I could identify, and who I felt was committed to investing in me. It feels like a real privilege to be able to provide this opportunity to black girls who face the same challenges I faced. It’s wonderful to be able to say “if I can do it, so can you!” This is my first time mentoring a school-aged student – prior to this, I mentored a 3rd year medical student. What have you got in common as a pair? We’re both interested in medicine (Judith is a doctor and Caitlyn aspires to become a paediatrician!). We both identify as Christians and draw inspiration from Jesus’s life as a motivation to help other people. We also love the arts – Judith is musical and Caitlyn is an artist! What things are you already learning from each other and what are you looking forward to learning? Caitlyn – I have learnt about resilience through Judith sharing her journey of becoming a doctor. I find this inspirational and I feel that, if she could do it, so can I! I look forward to learning about Judith’s travels and musical interests (in addition to medical stuff!) Judith – Caitlyn is very good at expressing herself in a clear and honest way – I find this impressive and inspiring. I am looking forward to learning more about art and Ghanaian culture from her. How does mentoring on Zoom work for you both? Have there been any challenges? We have had a few technical issues but we’ve been able to laugh through them! We feel that, despite the challenges of technology, we have still been able to form a meaningful connection. Caitlyn: Does it matter to have a mentor that is a Black woman? Yes, this matters a lot to me. The only other black people I come into contact with are my family. The majority of my teachers are white and male, and I don’t feel able to identify with them, as I am aware that they have particular privileges that I don’t have. It’s nice to see someone who is the same as me, and to be able to learn from their experiences and apply them to my own journey. Judith: What are you looking forward to most from the year of mentoring? I am looking forward to watching Caitlyn grow and develop, and get closer to achieving her dreams. I also look forward to the various things I know I will learn from Caitlyn as we discuss topics ranging from Ghanaian art and self-expression, to knowing ourselves and managing pressure.
Meet our Mentoring Matches: Niketa and Ernesta
Each month, we’ll be introducing you to one of our mentoring pairs, so you can hear more about The Catalyst Programme, in their own words. This month, meet Niketa and Ernesta, one of our first pairs! Here they tell us a bit more about themselves and their early experiences on the programme. Ernesta, Year 11 is a busy year, but you’ve made time for mentoring alongside everything else. Why is it important to you to have a mentor this year? I wanted to take part because Year 11 is a vital year where you’re making the jump from secondary school to sixth form and there’s lots changing and lots to learn. You have to learn to organise yourself better and a mentor will help guide you and be better prepared. Niketa, the same question to you – there’s a lot going on in the world right now! Why is volunteering your time something you’ve prioritised, and why have you chosen mentoring as the way to do it? Given everything happening to the education system with Covid it felt particularly important to me to volunteer to support someone in education given all the challenges young people are facing. I was particularly drawn to this opportunity as it offered the opportunity to support young black women specifically. Can you tell us a bit about your mentoring ‘pair’? Why do you think you were matched? Have you discovered that you have anything in common? Ernesta: I think because I do lots of different things, and you do lots of things with your time as well, and even our A-levels are quite similar. Niketa: Yes you’re someone who likes to be busy and I’m the same, you also clearly have a lot of focus and drive to meet your goals I think I’m also quite like that. What have your first meetings been like? Niketa: I really enjoyed our first meeting, you’re really organised. From that first meeting you were there on time, ready to get started and were clear about why you wanted to do mentoring. I admired that focus and when talking to you it’s clear how intelligent and engaging you are. It made me think it was a good match! Ernesta: From the first meeting I could see you really wanted to do this. I thought you were really engaging and it made me think this won’t be a chore! I’ve been looking forward to our meeting and I knew I wouldn’t be bored in our sessions. What are you looking forward to this year as a pair? We’re both looking forward to getting started, working on the goals we’ve set for ourselves and seeing what else we cover in our sessions. If lockdown ever lifts, we might even be able to go for a walk or a coffee! We’re looking forward to seeing how they develop throughout the programme!
