On Friday, April 1, Adelphi University will co-host MENTOR New York's 19th Annual Mentoring Matters Conference to address increasing racial equity and creating spaces of joy for young people. The daylong event is completely online.
Chotsani West, MA ’07, executive director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Adelphi, will moderate the plenary session panel, “Leadership in Uncertain Times,” at 9:30 a.m. and will lead a 10:40 a.m. workshop on Equity in Mentoring Relationships: Program Practitioner Strategies for Building Inclusive Communities. “As we return to in-person meetings and reflect on the last few years, now more than ever, the support of mentoring relationships is evident,” West said. “Adelphi is honored to play such a vital role in this conference.”
The University’s mentoring programs have been honored nationally, including with a 2019 Eduventures Innovation Award. “We are working toward a culture of mentoring at Adelphi,” West noted. “There are a number of units seeing the importance of structured mentoring, which has taken shape in the form of peer mentoring and is discipline specific.”
West graduated with an MA in Educational Leadership and Technology in 2007 and, in 2014, launched Adelphi University’s Mentoring Program. She was named to her current role in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in 2019, continues to be a strong advocate for mentoring on campus, and is also an adjunct faculty member in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Ruth S. Ammon College of Education and Health Sciences.
“We are fully committed to the culture of mentoring, which helps to create a sense of belonging, augmenting student success,” West said. “Adelphi University is pleased to collaborate again with MENTOR New York for the Mentoring Matters Conference. The workshops, networking and conversations will provide an opportunity for mentoring professionals to refocus and center the importance of authentic connections in our communities and schools.”
See the conference website for details about Mentoring Matters. Registration is open until the start of the event.