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By Juhair Mahtab. First published by the ECEBM.

“We’ve had to rethink the way a summit works, how to make it engaging even if it is not in person”.

European Center for Evidence Based Mentoring had an exclusive interview with our friends at the Coordinadora Mentoria Social,
Marta Lopez Cornellas and Carina Garcia Mesegué who have been working relentlessly to bring you the online Mentoring Summit. The journey to move the European Mentoring Summit online has been a “really long and exciting process” says Carina. It was quite unexpected and sudden when the event got postponed in March. It feels like a lifetime has passed since this epidemic started and we have all had to make this switch to remote working. It really felt like a lot of time has passed since they have had to organize an in-person event. Indeed, there were several challenges as “we did not have the skills to prepare an online summit”. But they have worked hard and learned a great deal along this journey.

The decision to make the event online was made quite early and this really gave them plenty of time to learn new techniques and gain experience with hosting events online. The Coordinadora Mentoria Social has organized and been a part of several online events during this period. The Keep Mentoring Event in June for example already taught them quite a lot about hosting successful online events capable of facilitating online mentoring communities and collaborations between mentors an organization. “It also helped to see that people are really willing to meet and to learn even though we are not meeting in person”, Carina ads. This really helped them change their mindsets and think in a different way when moving the European Mentoring Summit Online. They have also spent much time and effort into how they engage with the attendees and keep them interested during these six months.

Considering it was not going to be an in-person event anymore, a lot has been changed in how the online event will be planned and executed. Though the topics for the Mentoring Summit remained the same, they had to be adopted to include the many things they have learned on how to virtualize their programs and how to adapt to this new virtual way of working in the mentoring field, says Marta. However, the main focus while making this switch to an online-only event was on how to drive and enhance networking which is one of the main things that visitors to the event are hoping to gain out of it. Making an online event also enhances the information available to visitors. While in-person events can lead to a higher level of engagement through workshops, and online event can record all the information and happenings and make it available to the guest’s post-event. Marta says, “we imagine the website of the new summit to be like a library of knowledge that we can share with people afterward which will be more interesting to the guests”. The event will include elements to make it more fun and engaging, which is going to be exciting. What are these going to be? Attendees will find out during the event.

However, it was the support from the mentoring community and their network which gave them the drive to persevere through this exhausting and difficult journey. “We talked to them and we realized that they still wanted to do, and they still have the motivation. And that helped us a lot to say that let’s do this no matter what. And it’s going to work out in the end even if it’s difficult.” Having an online event also means that it can get engagement from more people from around the world since visitors no longer had to travel to Barcelona to be a part of the 2020 European Mentoring Summit. “And actually, now we have more people than we had planned in March” says Marta.

The topic of this year’s summit, “Common Challenges, Collective Solutions: Mentoring for a Sustainable and Inclusive Future” is deeply related to the core of The Coordinadora Mentoria Social, says Marta. The organization works only with people at risk and considering that we are in a time in Europe when we are facing a lot of challenges in terms of inclusion, it is time that the mentoring field can work together to address several of these social issues. All mentoring projects are going through the same issues and all risk communities are struggling more than they were before the pandemic. So, it is all about uniting, it is all about coming together, putting all of our knowledge together and sharing it with every attendee which comes so that they can go back to their job place with more knowledge and more ideas on how to overcome these difficult times. This event is going to be all about bringing together people from all over the world to share their experiences, their knowledge, and contribute towards a sustainable and inclusive future through collective solutions to common challenges.

From the Coordinadora de Mentoria Social, the 2020 European Mentoring Summit co-organizers, a Spanish platform that promotes quality mentoring in the field of social action and, therefore, the development of trust bonds between people, we have been thinking about the impact that COVID-19 can have on the programs and we have put together a list of suggestions to help mentoring programs adjust to the social distancing context.

This document is a support tool, rather than a guide to be strictly followed, which we make available not only to social mentoring programs but also to any project that assists people in vulnerable situations. Thus, the indications that we give here are to be adapted to the different realities, objectives and profiles of the targeted people.

In addition to the obligations and recommendations that the different governments are encouraging, we believe that mentoring programs can contribute to improving the situation by developing a highly valuable task of emotional support and assistance, especially for the most vulnerable people.

Since our routines have changed and our movements’ activity has been restricted, it is easy for some people to feel overwhelmed and to tend to isolate themselves, thus intensifying their vulnerability. That is why now, more than ever, we need support networks, safety spaces and comforting relationships.

In this regard, mentoring programs take on a more than relevant meaning in the present time: only if we feel connected will we be able to face this situation with the willpower, patience and state of mind that it requires.

Consequently, circumstances lead us to incorporate a claim in this very introduction: Internet access as a first-order right for all people. In order to maintain mentoring relationships during social distancing, access to communications becomes a crucial element that will determine the quality and impact of our support. Hence our appeal to public administrations, as well as to large companies in the telecommunications sector, to do everything in their power to guarantee this access, especially for the most vulnerable populations.

From the Coordinadora, we want to help maintain the support network and ensure that the most vulnerable people can continue to count on the spaces of trust provided by the relationships with their mentors.

Thus, we are at your disposal for whatever need and, above all, we encourage you to adapt your projects to ensure that ties are maintained, even if remotely.

ENGLISH: Download the document here

FRANÇAIS: Télécharger le document

This document has been drafted by the different organizations that are part of the Coordinadora de Mentoria Social to support all those mentoring and assistance projects that encounter difficulties in maintaining active relations during the exceptional situation created by the expansion of COVID-19.

We encourage organizations worldwide to make a list of resources for projects and mentors that fit their needs and their context. From our side, we have created a list (in Spanish) of specific resources, and you can find it on our website.

We put ourselves at the disposal of all those organizations and people who need our support: coordinadora@mentoriasocial.org

These past few days have been tough on us. With the unexpected situation with the COVID-19, having to postpone the 2020 European Mentoring Summit, which we had been organizing for months now, has not been easy. However, we wanted to let you all know that this is not a defeat, but we are taking it as a new opportunity. An opportunity to make a better and bigger Summit!

For some days now, our team has been working from home. As you may already know, the situation with the coronavirus in Spain is having quite an impact on our lives, and we have decided to stay home and safe. We keep working from home to communicate with you all, as well as to start rethinking the Summit. We hope that everything will be back to normal by October and that we finally will get the chance to meet you all.

Our area of work, mentoring, is surely being affected by the new circumstances, and the people who are probably suffering the most are the mentees. On our side, the Coordinadora de Mentoria Social’s team is doing its best to find new opportunities and ways to keep the mentoring projects alive. Difficult times require creative solutions! That is why we encourage you all to keep imagining ways to stay in touch with your teams while staying safe. In October, when we finally meet, we will all have plenty of stories to tell, and new experiences to share.

Hopefully, by then our societies will be rethinking their ways and learning from this whole situation. The extreme measures we are now experiencing from our governments are also exposing the deficiencies in our administrations and societies, and this will probably lead to a new paradigm. Let’s all look at this as a new opportunity where our organizations and universities can raise their work and speak out about the social issues in which the mentoring sector has so much to say.

Until then, stay safe!

* Please, note that the 2020 European Mentoring Summit has finally been rescheduled due to the situation with the coronavirus. Read all you need to know about the new dates here: https://mentoringsummit.eu/2020-european-mentoring-summit-postponed-to-7th-9th-of-october-2020/

Our organization is continuously monitoring the Coronavirus and we are adopting measures to minimize any potential implications that it may have on the European Mentoring Summit 2020.

We have a full program with more than 39 workshops and 9 Keynote Speakers, and Summit registrations are abundant, being slightly ahead of the European Mentoring Summit 2018 edition numbers, which were the largest to date. The Summit’s staff in Barcelona is enthusiastically working against the clock to have everything ready for the Summit. We are all excited and looking forward to seeing you there.

European Mentoring Summit and the COVID-19 Virus Update – 4th March 2020
While the situation remains dynamic, to this date, the World Health Organization, the USA’s Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Spanish Health Ministry all confirm that there is no reason to defer travel to Spain. Since the outbreak of the virus, approximately two months ago, there have been numerous international meetings held in Europe and Spain in particular.
Spain, and especially Barcelona, is currently perceived as being a safe location to be during this viral outbreak. Compared to other regions in Spain, Catalonia has fewer cases of coronavirus, all of them from people who have travelled to at-risk zones, and the virus outbreak is being successfully controlled, with no local cases reported. Nonetheless, the European Mentoring Summit is taking prudent actions to address concerns about the virus by providing accurate disinfection of public surfaces touched by hands, such as doorknobs, counters, tablets, etc., and adding hand sanitary dispensers throughout the venue.

We continue to monitor the situation closely, reviewing daily updates from WHO, CDC, and Spanish and Catalan Health Authorities. Upon review of their guidance, we will adjust our response as needed and alert all attendees via email and the Summit’s website.

The European Mentoring Summit management, partners, and vendors are monitoring the ongoing developments and continue to follow guidance from health organisations and expert recommendations. We are fully committed to taking appropriate precautions to provide a safe and healthy environment for attendees.

European Mentoring Summit management will:
• Follow recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) as well as the policies of the Spanish and Catalan government.
• Provide healthcare guidelines for registrants and onsite personnel.
• Respond to questions from speakers and attendees about the precautions taken at the European Mentoring Summit.

Management is planning to implement measures to include, but not necessarily be limited to:
• Increased cleaning and disinfection process across all high-volume touchpoints, e.g. catering areas, surfaces, handrails, restrooms, entrances/exits, etc., along with the use of cleaning/sanitizing materials and products.
• Availability of sanitizing and disinfection materials for public use.

We strongly encourage attendees to monitor and implement appropriate guidelines and protocols as suggested by the WHO and other health authorities to contain and mitigate against any further spread of the virus. Up-to-date WHO advice can be found here: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQ

1. What can I do as an attendee to protect myself and others?

We strongly urge attendees to monitor and implement appropriate guidelines and protocols as suggested by the WHO and other health authorities to contain and mitigate against any further spread of the virus.

Up-to-date WHO advice can be found here:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance

Up-to-date CDC advice can be found here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Up-to-date Spanish Health Ministry advice can be found here:
https://www.mscbs.gob.es/profesionales/saludPublica/ccayes/alertasActual/nCov-China/home.htm

Up-to-date Catalan Government advice can be found here:
http://canalsalut.gencat.cat/ca/salut-a-z/c/coronavirus-2019-ncov/

Here are some easy ways to protect yourself and other attendees, as recommended by the WHO:

1. Wash your hands frequently: Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands are not visibly dirty.

2. Practice respiratory hygiene: When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with flexed elbow or tissue – discard tissue immediately into a closed bin and clean your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.

3. Maintain social distancing: Maintain at least 1 meter (3 feet) distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing and have a fever.

Feel free to not shake hands or participate in other types of greetings by politely citing your concerns about preventing infection.

For more information, visit the WHO’s advice page.

2. What is the Spanish government saying about COVID-19?

The Spanish Government has issued statements ensuring the public that Spain is a safe place to travel to and hold meetings.

3. How will the European Mentoring Summit communicate any updates?

European Mentoring Summit will update attendees and speakers via weekly e-newsletters, dedicated emails, and on the website, www.mentoringsummit.eu.

4.  Who can I contact for more information?

Please contact Laura Llinàs at info@mentoringsummit.eu

* Please, note that the 2020 European Mentoring Summit has finally been rescheduled due to the situation with the coronavirus. Read all you need to know about the new dates here: https://mentoringsummit.eu/2020-european-mentoring-summit-postponed-to-7th-9th-of-october-2020/

By rescheduling the event, some information regarding the Philanthropic Track may have changed. We will update all our information as soon as possible.

We are pleased to announce that the 2020 European Mentoring Summit will include a Philanthropic Track, where organizations will have an opportunity to present their mentoring projects in front of potential sponsors that are particularly interested in funding mentoring organizations. There will also be an economic prize for the best project presentation! Do you want to participate? Here’s everything you need to know:

Who can participate?
Organizations that work on mentoring can present 1 project to our Scientific Committee that will enter a selection. Only organizations registered to attend the 2020 European Mentoring Summit are eligible for selection.

How to participate?
Organizations will have to prepare a video* presenting their mentoring project. The video has to be up to 2 minutes length, recorded horizontally, offering a brief description of the project and explaining why is it interesting and what makes it different or innovative within their field of work. The video will have to be uploaded to Youtube or Vimeo and organizations will have to send their link to comunicacio@mentoriasocial.org with subject “Philanthropic Track EMS2020”.

* By sending us the video, all organizations give the 2020 European Mentoring Summit organization the right to publish the video on the Summit’s website and on other online communications. Only the selected videos will be published.

Deadline for the submissions
We will only accept videos that have been sent before the 20th of February 2020 at 23:59h (GMT+1).

How many projects will be selected?
Up to 10 organizations will be selected and given the opportunity to present their mentoring project in front of potential sponsors (private companies and foundations) during the 2020 European Mentoring Summit.

The first European award for the best mentoring project presentation
At the same time, the 10 selected organizations will be eligible to get an economic prize that will help them fund their mentoring project. The project that offers the best presentation at the Summit will get a 1000€ prize. The award will be announced during the Networking Dinner.

* Please, note that the 2020 European Mentoring Summit has finally been rescheduled due to the situation with the coronavirus. Read all you need to know about the new dates here: https://mentoringsummit.eu/2020-european-mentoring-summit-postponed-to-7th-9th-of-october-2020/

By rescheduling the event, some information regarding the Ticket Sale may have changed. We will update all our information as soon as possible.

The 2020 European Mentoring Summit is getting closer. We are so excited about this great event and we are working hard to offer you the best experience. We want you to be able to explore new topics, learn from world-renowned experts, meet practitioners and researchers, offer you the chance to network and to get sponsorship opportunities for your mentoring projects. We want you to get the most out of your participation at the third European Mentoring Summit!

So don’t miss out! If you haven’t yet purchased your tickets, this is an important piece of information for you and your organization: 3x Same Organization Tickets will only be available until the 16th of February, while Regular Tickets‘ deadline is on the 28th of February. No more tickets will be sold after these dates, so be sure to get yours before the deadline expires!

If you are still thinking about it, we invite you to explore all the sections of our website to get to know all our offer of key speakers, workshops, our agenda and even our exclusive Philanthropic Track (information will be uploaded soon)! For attendees who need a place to stay during the Summit, we also offer you accommodation options: hotels that offer blocked prices and that are at walking distance from the Summit’s venue.

If you have any further questions or doubts, please do not hesitate to contact us: info@mentoringsummit.eu

We are pleased to share the new image for the 2020 European Mentoring Summit in Barcelona. In the website, you can already find out the first confirmed keynote speakers as well as information on the venue. Tickets for the Summit are already available. Take advantage of the Early Birds prices!