Creating Mentoring Opportunities to Promote Cultural Competencies and Social Justice

Abstract

This article focuses on the application of mentorship strategies to develop cultural competencies and promote social justice in future generations of counseling psychologists. Moreover, the emphasis is on building pedagogical structures that provide necessary learning opportunities for mentees, guidance and mentoring, as well as needed social change. Specifically, pedagogical structures paired with mentoring opportunities were created to: (a) inspire and expand students’ cultural learning to promote cultural competencies in both university and community populations, (b) promote understanding of current and historical events affecting the hearts and souls of mentees, (c) provide mentees with strategies to successfully navigate across cultural borders within the United States, (d) promote culturally-infused student services, (e) promote cultural competencies in crossing national borders, and (f) utilize psychological research as a vehicle of social change. Thus, this article expands the traditional definition of mentoring to include a planful and strategic role in creating real-life, real-time educational opportunities to promote social justice at one university across a decade, that are easily transferable to other institutions.