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| About the Mentorship Program |
| The Mentorship Program was created in 1993 in response to the severe shortage of qualified interpreters available to fill an escalating number of interpreter requests following the implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The brainchild of MassRID, the program was established with start-up funding from the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and New England Telephone, which housed the TTY relay service at the time, and with input and support from Deaf community leaders. DEAF, Inc. originally housed the program and continues to act as our fiscal agent. Our original mentorship program is now in its 16th year! The Interpreting Mentorship Program focuses on fostering the growth of new interpreters, helping them prepare for the state screening examination and entry into the field of professional interpreting. This is done through a combination of one-to-one mentorship with a nationally certified interpreter mentor, participation in work groups for mentees and skills and professional development workshops. While the majority of our mentees have not yet earned interpreting credentials, we also welcome credentialed interpreters (state screened, EIPA, RID certified) seeking to enhance their skills. This year we are expanding our ASL Mentoring Program! The ASL Mentoring Program provides one-to-one mentorship in ASL with a Deaf mentor. Building on the success of our pilot ASL Mentoring Program last year, we are training additional Deaf mentors, expanding the number of participants in the program and increasing the number of hours per each program session. This program is separate from our interpreting mentorship, and mentees have the option to participate in one or both programs. By providing opportunities to enhance both ASL fluency/cultural understanding and interpreting skills, we believe mentees will be better equipped to serve the needs of our diverse Deaf community. The expanded ASL Mentoring Program has been made possible through funding from the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (MCDHH). Support for training of Deaf mentors has been provided by both Sorenson Communications and MCDHH. Additional funding has been provided by the Boston University Center for Interpreter Education (BUCIE). We are deeply grateful to all of our funders and supporters as we continue building this vital new program. In addition to interpreting mentorship and ASL mentorship, The Mentorship Program also offers Mentoring for Performance Exams, private mentoring in preparation for the performance portion of the Massachusetts state interpreter screening. Click on Programs to learn more about Interpreting Mentorship, ASL Mentoring and Mentoring for Performance Exams. The Mentorship Program also provides professional development workshops for interpreters at all stages of their career. Click on Workshops for a full list of current and previously offered workshops. This year, we are expanding our outreach through monthly meetings of aspiring and working interpreters of color. For more information, contact Adell Irvin at adell.irvin@massmentorship.org. In addition, we are continuing our initiative to make all of our services more accessible and welcoming to interpreters of color by including individuals of diverse backgrounds in all aspects of our programs, as staff members, planners, presenters, mentees, mentors and consultants. We believe that having a multitude of perspectives and cultures enriches our offerings and better prepares our mentees for work within our culturally diverse community.
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