International Mentor Program Certification

 History

Many academic support programs, retention efforts, and student development programs now use peer mentoring. However, much like peer tutoring, these programs have often been implemented without clear standards for training and sometimes without much training. That situation is addressed by the Peer Mentor Program Certification sponsored by the College Reading and Learning Association (CRLA).

A current listing of certified programs can be viewed by clicking on this link

Purpose

In the concerted efforts of our various organizations to professionalize developmental education and the academic support that comes under its umbrella, the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) published professional standards for tutoring, adjunct instruction, developmental course work programs, and the teaching/learning process (NADE GUIDES, 1995). Preceding the "Guides," CRLA had implemented certification for professional tutors. Certification plans are still in progress for academic support centers and individuals working in developmental education. 

Endorsements

All these efforts have been endorsed by the American Council of Developmental Education Associations, the inter-organizational entity that permits us to integrate our professional initiatives and address issues affecting our profession with a unified voice. The new Peer Mentor Program Certification is the result of a similar concerted effort.

Certification Levels

The program of Peer Mentor Program Certification is based on more than two years of work during which many professionals gathered and contributed information. Its format is patterned after the Peer Tutor Program Certification and provides two training options for certification at Level I. One of those options includes the ten hours of training a student may have completed for tutoring plus an additional five hours of training related to mentoring. Each level of certification for peer mentors requires at least 15 hours of training presented in a variety of formats from a menu of topics. Mentoring experience, selection criteria, and evaluation are also integral components of the criteria. However, the criteria still allow for the unique needs of each program, making the program flexible while professionally structured and standardized.

Certification communicates validity to our critics, prestige among our colleagues, and credibility to our administrators and institutions. The certification criteria can be used to develop a new program of peer mentor training, to revise one, or expand one already in place. As with the tutor certification, the program will be a "living" one: criteria will be reviewed annually in light of professional input and changes in the profession.

For More Information:

Contact Jennifer Smith, Coordinator of Certification Programs for more information about the Peer Mentoring  Program Certification

We encourage your comments, email the webmaster, Corrine Johnson.
Last updated November 12, 2007.