I've just become a REFLECT co-mentor

I've just become a REFLECT co-mentor and I think its an excellent programme. Whether you work in a school or as an artist or organisation with schools its an excellent opportunity to explore and develop creative learning, and share a learning experience with your co-mentor. It is an interesting opportunity as you are in an equal partnership with your co-mentor, learning and developing together, rather than the conventional set-up of being either a mentor or mentee.
I have been paired with a creative coordinator from a primary school in Ross-on-Wye, and will be exploring how I can best support schools to develop creative learning in my role as arts development officer. You are free to design your learning agreement with your co-mentor, and will be supported to do this through a training day and really useful info pack.
See below for more info on how you could become a REFLECT co-mentor...

REFLECT Creative Partnerships National co-mentoring programme - register your interest here!
http://www.thesagegateshead.org/l_and_p/creativepartnerships/mentoring_register.aspx
Commissioned by Creative Partnerships and devised and led by The Sage Gateshead, this exciting national programme will enhance creativity at the heart of schools, creative and cultural organisations and businesses through inspiring, developing and embedding more innovative partnership practice. The Sage Gateshead will be setting up 150 co-mentoring partnerships bringing together emerging leaders from across these sectors in all nine of the English regions, supported by a series of face to face training and networking events. This pioneering programme will provide professional development for individuals that will benefit themselves, their colleagues and their organisations, and we'll be recruiting participants from January. Each of the 300 organisations will receive a £500 honorarium, a one off payment as a token towards expenses incurred for the duration of the co-mentoring partnership. The co-mentoring programme will run for 12 months from May 2007.
Who can be a mentor? Organisations/ Businesses: Emerging leaders from creative and cultural organisations and businesses heading departments, leading key projects or significant areas of work with a focus on creativity or creative learning including free-lance creative practitioners running their own businesses.
Schools: Teachers committed to creative learning who are leading elements of work which have the capacity to effect whole school change, for example teachers who lead on specific curriculum areas, cross curricula links or community partnerships, SENCOs, faculty heads and other emerging leaders.
Which organisations can take part? Creative and cultural sector organisations and businesses should be committed to work in education or community contexts and the professional development of their own staff.All English state schools and early years settings, whether inside or outside a designated Creative Partnerships area, unless the school receives core Creative Partnership funding.
Where?Schools, creative and cultural organisations and businesses situated within England.
What is the time commitment? Co-mentors will attend a regional training day at the start of the programme; co-mentors will be expected to meet for two to three hours at least five times over the year and attend two day long regional gatherings. There will be an opportunity to attend a national conference in May 2008.
To apply to be a co-mentor please fill in the form on the Sage Gateshead website from the link above by September 10th 2007. The selection process for co-mentoring pairs will take place between March and September 2007.
Best wishes
Jenny

Jenny Henrywood
Arts and Creative Industries Development Officer
South Shropshire District Council