APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN
For the 6-week Summer 2024 Program
Program dates:
July 1st - August 12th, 2024
Applications for the 6-week summer 2024 program will close on May 31st, 2024
We are thrilled to announce that this year, we will also be offering the program in Arabic and Spanish!
For more information about the program and how you can be a competitive applicant, keep scrolling through the information below.
Si tienes preguntas sobre el programa de mentoría, por favor envía un correo a juanjo@in-sightcollaborative.org
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إذا كان لديك أي أسئلة Øول برنامج الإرشاد، يرجى إرسال بريد إلكتروني إلى
hadi@in-sightcollaborative.org
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If you have any questions about the Mentorship Program, please email team@in-sightcollaborative.org
Program Theory
In-Sight Collaborative’s mentorship program is designed to provide a safe and welcoming introduction to leadership in the humanitarian sector with continuing opportunities to refine leadership skills.
The humanitarian sector is one of the most diverse and intersectional sectors in the world. Humanitarian action requires coordinated action from legal teams, policy-makers, logisticians, medical specialists, funders, journalists, local leadership, and many others to successfully execute interventions. We believe that anyone with the right mindset and a willingness to engage can be an effective part of the humanitarian response from any background, profession, or sector. It is one of our goals to help inspire future humanitarian leaders and give them the tools and resources they need to participate in a meaningful way.
Participants will move through a six or ten-week course where they are introduced to the history of the sector, current trends, problems, and innovations in the humanitarian sector. For the duration of the program, participants are mentored by In-Sight Collaborative and our partners through problem-solving and reflection activities. Each week will have a leadership cultivation component so that mentees who exit the program are prepared to take on mentorship roles in other settings or with us at In-Sight Collaborative.
Throughout the program, participants will be given the opportunity to explore the following areas of the non-profit and humanitarian sector:
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The history of the humanitarian sector and current events
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Planning, assessment, implementation, and evaluation of humanitarian interventions with human-centered frameworks
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Strategic planning within the non-profit industrial complex
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Ethical fundraising
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Research
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Storytelling
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Advocacy initiatives
"Arriving at meaningful solutions is an inevitably slow and difficult process. Nonetheless, what I saw was: better is possible. It does not take genius. It takes diligence. It takes moral clarity. It takes ingenuity. Above all, it takes a willingness to try."
- Atul Gawande, Better
Mentorship: In-Sight Collaborative’s mission is to unite humanitarians under a new narrative through decolonization approaches, education, and promoting the model of accompaniment along the migratory pathway. This means that we choose to walk alongside the populations affected by forced displacement and support them by deconstructing and reforming systems that create harm and disempowerment. We believe in building relationships and facilitating their journey with their input and direction rather than being driven by donors or the assumptions and intentions of humanitarian actors.
In-Sight Collaborative provides educational tools and programs to help raise awareness on the issues facing the humanitarian sector, including sector biases, savior complexes, and inconsistent standards of practice which can be harmful to those experiencing displacement and relying on humanitarian interventions for support.
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Accompaniment in Migration: In-Sight’s online modules are designed to provide entry-level learning opportunities for those interested in exploring the humanitarian and migration sectors and participating in a meaningful way. We believe that anyone can have an impactful role within any capacity. The crash course provides a brief history on the sector, a summary of current events, and guidance on how to engage with these humanitarian issues in an ethical and effective way from anywhere in the world.
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Mini Modules: Mini Modules are designed to be used as tools for In-Sight Collaborative and our partners to train incoming volunteers and provide continuing education on current issues in the humanitarian sector.
The role of the In-Sight mentors is to welcome new participants to the program and follow them through the duration of the course. Mentors will be available to answer questions, engage in thoughtful conversations, and direct participants to additional resources. We believe that this method of direct-mentorship facilitates a positive and meaningful learning experience and helps us expand our network and support system.
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Listen: Receive the information objectively.
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Reflect: Think about your potential role in the action strategies and information you are taking in.
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Act: Consider the population or field of development work you may be interested in engaging with in the future and start to think about an action plan you could develop in support of that community. Although we won’t carry out these action plans until the end of Week Two, start to reflect on how you could actualize your plans of action either at a local or global level.
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Repeat: Take the knowledge of what you’ve grasped in the week’s concepts and reflect again with your more refined critical eye. Then, reconsider your action plan if needed and make adjustments as you see fit.
Program Content
Each week will include the following material:
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A lecture to introduce and contextualize the information, activities, and reflections for the week
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This lecture will be archived, so participants can attend live or watch at their convenience)
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A resource page where the week’s content will be posted along with additional learning resources
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A workbook where participants will be guided through reflection activities to help process the content
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A cohort meeting at the end of each week where participants will meet with their mentors and groups to discuss the content
Timeline:
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Applications for the 10-week program run November 6th - December 10th, 2023, applications for the 6-week program run April 15th - May 31st, 2024
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Interviews will take place in the six weeks following the closure of the application cycle
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The 10-week program will run from January 29th - April 8th, 2024 and the 6-week program will run July 1st - August 12th, 2024
Time Commitment:
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In-Sight Collaborative's mentorship programs is offered in two versions to accommodate different schedules. The 10-week program is a part-time program that is designed to be done in tandem with other responsibilities like work and school. There is a one-week break at the midpoint for participants to catch up on course material. The 6-week program is a more intense version designed for people to complete between school semesters during summer vacation. While it is not full-time, it takes some organization and discipline to juggle the course load with other responsibilities.
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4-6 hours per week for the 10-week program, 8-10 hours per week for six weeks, and a 30-45 minute interview before and after the program
Participants must be able to attend mandatory 90 minute Cohort Meetings for the duration of the mentorship program. Cohorts will be divided based on time zones and the meeting times will be decided by the cohort on the first week of the program.
Pre-Program Module:
Participants who are accepted into the program and have not yet completed In-Sight Collaborative’s mini module on Accompaniment in Migration will be asked to complete the self-paced module before the start date of the program. This module takes about 3-6 hours to complete.
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Program Objectives:
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Educate young professionals and current participants in related sectors about the paradigm shift we would like to see in forced migration
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Cultivate an understanding and embodiment of the accompaniment model
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Identify organizations/entities/movements who embody the accompaniment model
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Identify ways to promote the accompaniment model as a leader in their respective sectors
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Prepare mentors who will mentor new community members at In-Sight Collaborative
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Testimonials
Eirene Smith
USA
“I've learned so much from the In-Sight Mentorship program. Coming in, I knew very little about refugees or people who are displaced. I'm not an expert now, by any means, but I definitely know more than I did. I met and worked with amazing people from all over the world who are interested in making the world a better place, and got to speak with and learn from a professional in the field I hope to enter into! I've been so blessed to be a part of the program, and cannot recommend it enough!”
I participated in In-Sight’s 10-week mentorship program between January and April 2024. For me, the program was a life-changing journey, as it did not only introduce me to concepts and models for human-centric solutions in the humanitarian sector, but it also challenged me in the most constructive way by providing opportunities to explore new perspectives, brainstorm with a great group of co-learners, and reflect on new knowledge. The In-Sight team is immensely committed to making the world a better place, and this is evident in their empathy, kindness, and hard work. Given that being humanitarian is not a nine-to-five job but a way of living, I would recommend this program to anyone who is ready to make a change, starting from within.
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Muhammad al Mahroof
Nigeria
" I learned from the experiences of some refugees and also those who make research into their issues and those who are directly involved in providing services and succour to refugees. The program was a big eye opener for me as I look forward to an opportunity to volunteer as a humanitarian and also keep open the network created from this training."
Mohammad Aboulwafa
Egypt
"For me it was a great experience and an excellent opportunity to be a part of this program because I find it very challenging to gather all these persons with their differences towards an important goal like that, for me I find it a life-changing experience because it helps me to see what I couldn't do."
I could’ve never imagined being able to learn so much in such a short period of time, the courses are designed in the most creative way that is very easy to follow and that you truly get to grasp concepts week by week. What is done at In-Sight Collaborative is incredible and huge credit to all those leading it. I feel so privileged to have come across this nonprofit and grown so much as a result of it.
Esraa Sayed
Egypt
"Without this program, I'd have spent my life wondering if I'll ever be able to support humanitarian issues, now I can say that I can".
Stevie Kennedy
Australia
"I did the summer mentorship program in 2020 and absolutely loved it. I have been engaged on team ever since. In-Sight Collaborative really stands out to me for always trying to better their practice and programs within the humanitarian sector. I found it so interesting to have this program teach me the reality of the aid sector and the challenges posed within it. I would recommend this program to absolutely anyone who is about to be stepping into the humanitarian and aid sector."
In-Sight Collaborative's mentorship program is exactly what the humanitarian space needs. It allows professionals in the field (whether full-time or volunteer or total beginner) to build a network of thoughtful, empathetic collaborators to exchange ideas and learn from one another. The course structure is comprehensive and accessible, with ways to participate synchronously through live classes and weekly focus groups and asynchronous participation through weekly activities, the workbook, and class recordings. A truly international group of folks working to make the humanitarian space better, with humility and open-mindedness. Highly recommend their courses and the mentorship program for anyone looking to enter the humanitarian world, professionals and volunteers, or just anyone who wants to learn more about the space!
Tracy Taylor
Netherlands
"I learned that there are so many innovative avenues that you can take when contributing to humanitarian causes and this has really inspired me to become more involved with others to tackle difficult problems in unique ways. For example, I had no idea how important our language is when speaking about the refugee crisis and displaced persons, but now I am able to educate others and begin to make small changes in the way we talk about refugees and migrants."
Michael Leo
Tanzania
​“The program has positively impacted me as it was a perfect one. I learned to respect all humans in the world because we all are equal, and not undermine anyone's rights for personal gain.”
I felt very lucky to be part of a program where not only I learned a lot but also had the opportunity to meet like-minded people, listen to people's stories and experiences from the humanitarian sector, and be in a safe space to discuss such important topics as how humanitarian aid and response work and how I can be part of the system while taking steps to improve it
Luana Nunes
Portugal
"I want to be aware of what is happening around the world, I don’t want to be another person pretending that everything is ok, when it's not. This program was very challenging and it made me wonder about everything, even about myself."