THANK YOU, thank you, gracias, takk, danke schön, tack for this 13th Nightingale mentoring Network Conference and Network Meeting

The Nightingales/Nattergalen/Näktergalen/Rossinyols! What an incredible team! Even though we missed some who couldn’t´ come (but maybe they join us next time!)

I, Carina want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Girona team for organizing and arranging this conference so fantastic in many ways and also thanks to the board as well.
Singing along with you all in the Abba song: “Thank you for the friendship” for giving it to me truly encapsulates my feeling. These 14 years in the network have been nothing short of amazing. Getting to know each of you, sharing wonderful moments, advancing our work, exchanging ideas, conducting research and engaging in fruitful discussions about our Nightingale concept have been invaluable experience.

Now I proudly wear this little Nightingale brooch from you, it serves a constant reminder of kindness. THANK YOU. It will have a special place in my heart.


Perhaps I’ll have the chance to return with some lines in December… I am still a bit overwhelmed by the surprise I received at the ceremony . Words cant´fully express my gratitude.

With this, my final newsletter, I extend a warm welcome to Miriam, Max and Malin from Malmö Näktergalen to join the board. I feel happy to entrust them with the responsibility, and I am filled with calm and optimism for the future of the Nightingale Network.
We have already finalized the new board, which will include members of the Malmö team, as well of Núria, Spain and Cecilie from Norway, who will continue their roles, and possibly Peter from Berlin. Joining them will be the newest board member Nattergalen Bergen from Norway.

Last night with friends in the Nightingale mentoring network

More photos
Núria has already sent you a lot of nice photos as well you have got the PPT from Eila and Oscar.
I have also put a nice photo on our LinkedIn page.

New research
There is put a new research, please look at the page “About” Click “Research about mentoring.” It is an article which reminds a lot of what we talk about at the workshop in Girona.

Next meeting and conference

Next meeting will hopefully be 2025 in Bergen, Norway.
Here a photo of the solemnly surrender of the Nightingale flag from Girona to Bergen!

Finally….best wishes to all of you, let the Nightingale continue to sing high and load!
You are the best suited for that.

Biggest hugs,
Carina

Cultural humility development in adults serving as mentors for youth: A qualitative evidence synthesis.

By: Anderson Amy J., Jones Kristian V., DuBois David L.,Çifci Fatmanur and Teger Zara 

This research shows how mentoring can shape a cultural humility. Two key aspects of their development are: 

Humanizing Others: Mentors’ perception and comprehension of diversity among individuals and within groups enhanced over the course of their relationships with their mentees. Additionally, their roles prompted mentors to establish personal connections with marginalized experiences, making topics like racism more personally pertinent rather than distant subjects.

Reflecting on One’s Own Identity, Biases, and Opportunities: Mentoring spurred mentors to introspect on their own experiences, privileges, and opportunities. It also urged them to address their biases and stereotypes, cultivate greater empathy, and feel empowered to initiate change. Mentors who shared the same race or ethnicity as their mentees similarly found value in this process, enabling them to delve into their own identities.

To read the article click here.

What do students learn in mentoring?

This is a new article from 2024 by: Glømmen Anne Margrethe, Brevik Saethern Beate & Eriksson Rikard (2024) Students´learning outcomes from being a mentor in the Nightingale Mentoring Programme for Adult Refugees in Norway. Emerald Insight.

Most studies on mentoring refer to the benefits of having a mentor, whereas the benefits of being a mentor have been ignored a lot. But this article however shows some of the benefit and learning mentor get.
The results showed that mentoring changed the mentors’ perspectives towards improved understanding, more flexibility and approval of other cultures. It seems that mentoring expanded the mentors’ search for values, wishes and resources, including an awareness that our values, wishes and needs are more similar than different. Mentoring also seems to have improved the ability to reformulate, be flexible, strive to optimise user engagement and engage with people as they are, based on their own prerequisites

As one mentor describes it: ”It’s amazing to realize how limited my insight into other cultures actually is, even though I used to believe otherwise”

Click here to download it.



January and February Newsletter 2024

Dear Nightingale friends,

The 13th Network Meeting and Conference is approaching which as you know will take place in Spain, at the University of Girona, the 22nd of February – 23rd of February.
This Conference will be focusing on the theme “Intersectionality”, with a specific focus on gender and race dimensions. 
Here you can download the updated Conference Agenda.

The adress to the University, Faculty of Education and Psychology of the University of Girona is: Plaça Sant Domènec, 9, 17004, Girona

Remember to register!
Registration closes 16th of February 2024.
The registration fee is €200 until the 31st of January and €250 after this date until the registration deadline.

Looking so much forward seeing you all!
The board

December Newsletter

Dear Nightingale fríends,
this special newsletter contains details regarding our upcoming
13th International Nightingale Conference in Girona.

Here´s some essential information shared by our partners in Girona:

TRAVEL INFORMATION TO GIRONA
To travel to Girona you can fly to Barcelona Airport (the most common) or you can come directly to Girona Airport (but there are very few flights). 


FROM BARCELONA
There are no direct trains from Barcelona Airport to Girona. Therefore, it is necessary to take a train into the center of Barcelona to head out towards Northern Catalunya.
Take the Barcelona Airport train to Estació Sants. At Estació Sants you will need to change.If you are arriving into Terminal 1 (T1) you will not be able to walk straight to the train station, as it is 4km away. You will need to take a shuttle bus from outside the terminal.

There are numerous trains travelling from Estació Sants to Girona – approximately three every hour. On average the journey lasts about 1 hour 20 minutes. Check the RENFE Website for the train times.


Another option is to come by bus. We recommend you check the following Bus website for availability, timetables and pricing because they vary greatly depending on the time of year. Sometimes the services are running with reduced frequency or do not run at all. To know more details or other possible options, you can visit this website with all the information here



From Girona Airport
There are taxis available from Gerona airport. The taxi rank is right outside the terminal building. There’s also a free phone inside the arrivals hall where you can call for a taxi. There are two taxi firms that serve the airport. The taxis come from either Girona centre or from a village near the airport. 

Another option is by bus. Check information here

To know more details or other possible options, you can visit this website with all the information

HOTEL INFORMATION
Girona is not a very big city, so it is easy to find accommodation relatively close to the
University and the Train Station.
Here´s an image of the map and in this link you will find it with the location of the hotels, the University and the Train Station:

The most recommended hotels for quality/price are:
Hotel Carlemany Girona ****
📍 Plaça Miquel Santaló i Pavor, 1, 17002 Girona
👣 4 min by car / 5 min by walk from the Train Station
🎓 13 min by walk to the University of Girona

Hotel Penisular Girona ***
📍 Av. de Sant Francesc, 6, 17001 Girona
👣 8 min by car / 10 min by walk from the Train Station
🎓 10 min by walk to the University of Girona

Hotel Ultonia Girona ****
📍 Gran Via de Jaume I, 22, 17001 Girona
👣 6 min by car / 11 min by walk from the Train Station
🎓 9 min by walk to the University of Girona

Hotel Ciutat Girona ****
📍 Carrer del Nord, 2, 17001 Girona
👣 6 min by car / 12 min by walk from the Train Station
🎓 7 min by walk to the University of Girona


And last reminder, do not forget to register!
Register here

The board wishes you all a Happy holiday season, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We look forward to seeing you in Girona 2024!

November Newsletter

Dear Nightingales,
another Nightingale year have started, and some have already been actively engaged for some month. 
Our upcoming live meeting in Girona for the 13th Nightingale Conference is getting closer. 

The board have had several meetings to deliberate upon the Conference, and we have almost finalized the program but there are some small things left. 
Shortly, you will receive the Conference link containing the agenda, recommended accommodations, and registration instructions, all essential for the confereence proceedings. 

The conference
Our 13th Conference will be held in the lovely city of Girona, focusing on the theme Intersectionality, with a specific focus on gender and race dimensions. 

Before we all meet we think it can be fruitful if partners begin to reflect about the topic before our workshop.

Sexism
*Have you ever encountered a situation where your mentees or family members did not want to be paired with mentors of the opposite sex?

  • Have you ever encountered a situation where traditional gender roles were an obstacle to mentoring (e.g. girls having to take care of their younger brothers, etc.)? 
  •  Have you ever come across situations where, through the mentors, you discovered:

i) a situation of gender-based violence in the mentee’s family context?

ii) or bullying because of the mentee’s sexuality (homophobia, LGBTI-phobia, etc.)?

iii) Other?

How did you deal with it? How would you do it?

Racism
*Have you ever come across mentors who have a very paternalistic and nativist view of how mentoring should be carried out? For example, some mentors may even think that mentees need to adopt the cultural traditions of the host context in order to feel integrated?

  • Have you noticed that mentees have had difficulty making friends or feeling accepted because of their immigrant background?
  • Have you come across comments from mentors about mentees who have identified a situation of injustice because of their background? How can you reflect together and act as a project?


See you next year in Girona,
the board

June Newsletter

Dear Nightingale friends,

The Rossinyols in Girona have now officially invited us to the next Conference/Network Meeting:
February 22nd to February 23rd, 2024 in Girona.

The central theme of this conference will be Intersectionality, which short can be described as to explore how various factors such as gender, ethnicity, and socio-economic background can intersect and influence the opportunities and experiences of mentees and mentors.

The program will start on February 22nd at 09:00 with an Opening session.
There is a draft version of the program but it might be changed since the board will discuss it further again in the board meeting the 12th of September.
But if you now have any suggestions or ideas please let us know.

The fee for the Conference will be 200€ and includes coffee, lunch, guided tour and a joint dinner the first day. It also includes coffee and lunch second day (and renting the rooms and some gifts or profile products).

For partners arriving on the evening of February 21st, there will as usual also be a gathering at a restaurant this the evening.

Now this Nightingale year has gone to its end and we wish you a nice holiday whenever it starts.
We will be in touch again in September and will then let you know more about the Conference. But we hope you already now put the date into your agenda so we will be able to meet in February 2024.


The board wishes all of you a nice and relaxing summer vacation!

Also the AI wishes us this by writing something to us about our Nightingale mentoring Network.

“In the forest of career growth, where the trees are tall and strong, 
The Nightingale sings a song, 
of mentorship, of guidance and hope.

With a network of wise owls, and eagles who have soared high, 
The Nightingale brings together, mentors and mentees to fly.

The journey is not always easy, but with a mentor by your side, 
You can navigate through the dark, 
and reach the other side.

The Nightingale’s network is vast, 
and it knows no bounds or limits, 
for it is fueled by the passion, 
of mentors who are committed.

So if you seek to grow and learn, 
and want to soar to new heights, 
join the Nightingale’s mentoring network, 
and let your career take flight.”

Using observational dyadic methods – self disclosure

Dutton, H., Deane, K. L., & Overall, N. C. (2023). Using observational dyadic methods in youth mentoring research: Preliminary evidence of the role of actors’ and partners’ self-disclosure in predicting relationship quality. 

In this study, behavioral observations of youth mentorships were used to assess the potential impact of self-disclosure on relationship quality, considering who is disclosing and in what manner.
The study’s findings suggest that intimate disclosures made by mentors can assist mentees in assessing their mentors’ perceptions of them and their level of commitment to the relationship. And mentors who avoid making disclosures can make their mentees think that they don’t want to have a genuine relationship with them.

Mentor disclosure should be purposeful and foster youth empowerment, mentee receptivity, and empathy. In essence, mentors should ensure that the information they share with their mentees is valuable to the relationship and does not overwhelm them.

The researcher states that ongoing training and supervision are essential in assisting mentors in attuning to their mentees and making appropriate disclosures.

Click here to down load the article

May Newsletter

Happy news
Last meeting in Berlin the Nightingale flag has been passed on to our colleague at Girona University, Rossinyol, to arrange the next network Meeting/Conference for us!

Now it is decided- next Network Meeting/Conference 2024 will be held in Girona, Catalonia, Spain!

Carina hand over the flag to Núria

As usual, the event will take place in February, around Thursday the 22nd (plus or minus one day), 2024 during week number 8. We hope that all partners can participate, even though it may coincide with the holiday week in some countries.

The upcoming Board Meeting on May 15th will involve discussions on a draft version of the Network Meeting/Conference content, agenda, and themes to focus on. We will keep you updated as soon as possible following the meeting.


IMPORTANT INFORMATION
A new MENTOR evaluation to strengthened our network and the work we do together
During our recent Network Meeting in Berlin, we discussed the importance of compiling data and assessing the impact of Nightingale Mentoring across Europe.
Although we have conducted an evaluation in the past, we have decided to conduct a new one. We kindly ask that your mentors complete the evaluation before their mentoring comes to an end. This will help us gather important figures and measure the effects of our program.
Your mentors answer is of importance for all of us.
Please answer at latest Wednesday June 30th.
Click here to get the evaluation

PARTNER NEWS

Óscar Prieto

Youth Mentoring
The 14th annual Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring will be held in Portland State University July 24-27, 2023 and will focus on the theme of mentoring to address the public healthissue of loneliness and social isolation. Sessions with leading scholars will explore how mentoring can promote connection, social inclusion, and a sense of belonging.


Featured speakers for 2023 will include
Polly Gipson Allen (University ofMichigan), Westley Fallovollita (University of Virginia),
Oscar PrietoFlores (University of Girona, Spain),
Michael Karcher (University of Texasat San Antonio), and
Lindsey Weiler (University of Minnesota).

Click here to read more about it.

The yearbook of International Organizations
Nightingale Mentoring Network is listed in the Yearbook of International Organizations, a publication of the Union of International Associations. The organisation is an independent, not-for-profit research institute founded in 1907 to promote and facilitate the work of international associations.
Click here to read more

The upcoming newsletter in June, prior to the summer vacation, will contain additional details regarding the Network Meeting/Conference scheduled to take place in Girona.

Network Meeting in Berlin!

THANK YOU ALL Nightingale friends who joined the Network Meeting in Berlin.

With this meeting we demonstrate the value of mentoring, for us and for important institutions. (evaluation from a post-it note)

It was so nice to meet in real life again. 22 persons together from five different countries. It was really a kick-off event for feeling the importance of being together and meet.
Peters colleague have said they could hear our laughter to the next room and they could really feel the nice and warm atmosphere in the room. As one partner of us also wrote on the Post-it note: So much positive energy and inspiration!

Partners also agreed on how fruitful it was to be able to meet again and have experience exchange.  However, as one member pointed out, some network members have been in the Nightingale for a short time, and they may want to hear about how the program works and is organized in different places. This is something for the board to think about for next meeting. Maybe also prepare more before the meeting to be more effective, as another partner wrote.
The compilation of our Post-It notes it shows however very positive answers; from fruitful discussions, much positive energy and inspiration, fun and laughter, great food and love the guided tour!
If you want to read the compilation/evaluation from your post-it notes you can click here and download it.

A special thank you to Peter ( and his team in Berlin)

You will find more photos from Berlin on the page “For members”, click “Network Meetings.” If you have any photos you would like to share or publish on our webpage, please send them to Carina. Please also send photos, especially from the fantastic dinner at Otto Wells Grundshule.

The board will soon begin to work on the next Network meeting, next year, hopefully it will be held in Girona, Spain. If you have any special ideas or thoughts for next year meeting, please let us know.

PARTNER NEWS
It is so nice to share the news and success of The Nightingale project in Finland, now being published in a Finish Newsletter and also in the Finish Broadcast ( In Swedish. The reportage about The Nightingale starts after approximately 18 minutes)

Don’t forget to sometime look into Research page……it is updated continuously.