In partnership with the Nile TESOL Teacher Association and the American University in Cairo, the US Embassy sponsored the sixth iteration of the Mentor Program on 1-19 August 2021.
The programme targets experienced English teachers and supervisors who are dedicated to “pay it forward” by training mentees in their local communities. In turn, thousands of Egyptian students benefit from improved pedagogy.
US Embassy Minister Counselor for Public Affairs, Lauren Lovelace, has delivered closing remarks to the graduates of the 2021 Mentor Program, noting, “This programme taps into the cumulative experience of dedicated English teachers throughout Egypt, and amplifies their ability to help hundreds of their peers in every province through mentorship.”
Since 2016, the Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy (RELO) has trained 268 mentors, who in turn have coached 5,360 mentees shaping the education of hundreds of thousands of students. Mentors are available in all 27 governorates of Egypt and eager to help their communities.
Due to the pandemic, the 2021 Mentor program was run in a hybrid format with an American professor—selected from the U.S. Department of State’s prestigious English Language Specialist roster—working virtually every afternoon with three separate groups of 20 participants attending physically at a local hotel in Cairo. All precautions were taken to ensure the safety of participants and staff. Mentors will earn their certificates of accomplishment next year after providing more than 100 hours of service to their mentees in their local contexts: Ministry of Education schools, Azhar Institutes, and other educational entities.
