Author: lucasi

Dear Nightingale friends,
we are very much looking forward to the 11th Network Meeting and Conference, this time in Lillehammer, Norway, the 24th of February until the 25th.

“Reflect, re-think and re-story in supervision.”
Now we also have a blog where you can apply and get more information about the agenda, keynote speaker, events, venue and accommodation.
Remember to apply at the latest the 18th January 2022.

You will also find information at the page “Lillehammer, Norway, 2022”, which will be regular updated, if needed.
Click here to get more information on the blog

Please spread the news to colleagues, network partners, the university, schools and local networks.

PARTNERS NEWS
“Imagine if there was a war and no one showed up…”In this street art project, refugees, students and artists have worked side by side to spread a significant message to all of us” says Beate Sæthern from Østfold University College.

The street art project is carried out in collaboration with refugees and mentors (students) in the “Nightingale Mentoring Program for Adult Refugees” at Østfold University College.

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1. Louay from Syria takes a picture of his wife after her contribution to the wall “A + L heart art”. He lives in Sarpsborg, and she was reunited with her husband two weeks ago.
2. Zuhur came to Norway as a refugee from Eritrea, and is currently studying Work and Welfare at Østfold University College. She chose to write her message “Where I have my freedom, I have my home” both in her mother tongue and Norwegian.
3. Mazkin from Syria had prepared thoroughly in advance to translate his message into Norwegian. “The children are our future” and “Hand in hand we build the country”
   

WE WELCOME OUR NEW NIGHTINGALE COORDINATOR IN BODØ
Yan Zhao, who is associate professor in social work at Faculty of Social Sciences, Nord University.
Yan Zhao took over as the coordinator of Nightingale in Bodø, August, 2021 from her colleagues Marit Tveraabak and Bjørnar Blaalid.
She has worked with social work education since 2012. The subjects she teaches include social work in multicultural context, cultural competence, social work theories,   interdisciplinary/interprofessional collaboration, community work, and work, welfare and inclusion. Her research covers topics such as  transnational adoption, ethnic relations, nation and nationhood, migration and health, migration, aging and intergenerational relationship, as well as transnational and intercultural perspective in social work. Her work is inspired by feminist and postcolonial theories.

NEW RESEARCH ARTICLE
Anti-Racism Education and Training for Adult Mentors Who Work With BIPOC
(Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Adolescents)
Read more on the page: “Research about mentoring”.

Dear Nightingale friends,
Welcome back to a new semester and a new Nightingale year.

This semester we are really looking forward to go back to a new normal, at least with physical meetings between the mentors and mentees. During the Covid we have noticed partners ability to adapt to the situation and let mentors and mentees meet on-line, which as mentioned before has been a great challenge but when we now look back, this was the best we could have done – to be creative and not loose contact. The most important is: mentees can rely on their mentors and they know they care about them and they did not leave them even when the Covid restrictions was there!

Now we are very much looking forward to also meet all of you which soon will be possible at the:

CONFERENCE AND NETWORK MEETING IN LILLEHAMMER, NORWAY, THE 24th – 25th OF FEBRUARY 2022

Lillehammer 2022 are waiting for us!
The theme will be: Reflect, re-think, and re-story in supervision

At this network meeting we will discuss how supervision can help our mentors to create new narratives and a better understanding of their own action. Mentoring should not only become learning by doing, but also learning by reflective doing.

We will discuss and listen to partners experiences of supervision, from different perspective and we have invited an interesting Keynote speaker.

There will also bee three or four presentations with different examples of supervision delivered.
You can read more about the Network Meeting at the page: Lillehammer 2022

The blog with more details will soon be available with details about the fee, the hotels and the agenda etc.


Partners presentations

Nightingale Karlstad started in the autumn of 2016. It is a collaboration between municipality of Karlstad and Karlstad University that finances 50% each.
So far, 103 students and 294 students in primary school have participated. All students, regardless of education, can apply to become a mentor.
The next round starts in October 2021.
There are three schools in Karlstad municipality that participate. This round 90 students in primary school want to be part of the Nightingale, so now recruitment of about 35 mentors is ongoing.
Each mentor gets 1-3 students in primary school with whom to do different activities. Some of the activities take place in groups, where all mentors participate, some take place on their own with their group. Examples of activities are visiting the university, having coffee together (Swedish ”fika”), playing games, various sport activities, cooking, baking, discussing life issues, studies and opportunities as an adult.
The benefits of being in a group is many! Among other things the students in primary school get to know more friends, do fun activities in their free time, share the positive activities together with classmates and take this back to school, into the classroom. They get to see each other in other contexts, learn to respect each other, agree to decide with their mentor what activities they should do during the 8 months they are part of Nightingale.

All activities are financed of the project the students do not receive any compensation in addition to the costs of activities, they contribute their time because they want to make a difference for other people..
Last round we had to switch from physical meetings to digital meetings to the ongoing pandemic for a couple of months. The need to meet physical was clearly great and when students and their mentors got to meet again and do activities together, the happiness was great!

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Quatations from some children/youth:
”You get to do things with new people who are a little older than us and see how it is to study at the university”

”It is important that it does not cost anything. Get away from everyday life, get to do something out of the ordinary.

Mentors: ”Students in primary school show great interest in in education and career paths.”
”They are very proud and happy to be part of the project.”

Teachers :”The students have been looking forward to it. For some, it has been extra important as they may otherwise lack a social network.”
”I think this project has developed some students very much.”

//Best regards Petra Johansson, project manager Nigtingale Karlstad, Karlstad University

Other News
For your attention:
Our Nightingale Mentoring Network is listed in the Yearbook of International Organizations (UIA) open year book. (The organization is an independent, not-for-profit research institute founded in 1907 to promote and facilitate the work of international associations)
All our Nightingale conferences “Events” over the year since the Network started in the year 2010 and our aims, the history etc., everything is mentioned and listed here.
Click here to read more

Research
We have very productive partners in our Network so don´t forget to sometime look into the page “About” and click on “Nightingale research and evaluations” where you can find interesting research from our partners, there is a new one from Spain, for example.
There is also an English translation abstract of Peter Stammerjohanns text:
The Processes of Bildung in pedagogical contact zones. Crises as potential for Bildung within the framework of the organization of intercultural tandems.

We have also our own You Tube Nightingale channel with film, interviews etc.
Nightingale Mentor – Näktergalen
If you have anything you want to upload, please contact Carina.

Hope everyone is fine and that we all soon can take a deep breath hoping the Covid-19 will disappear when the vaccination now is here.
It seems we are all impressed of the creativity our mentors and mentees have shown during this year.
Fingers cross, for next semester and wishes all mentors and mentees now will be able to meet physically.

NEWS

The bord have discussed and will now suggest one partner from each National network to be included in the board. That means one partner from Spain network, one from Norway network and Germany (included Austria and Switzerland) network will be selected ( at next Network Meeting). That means each partner countries will be represented and ideas, suggestions or wishes from the all national network will be discussed in the board.
One suggestion is also that short Minutes from each network will be distributed to the board, with ideas, suggestions or news for coming event, Network Meetings or things they just want to share in the newsletter.

After a meeting with members from Spain the board have also decided to offer all NGO Nightingales to take part in the Network for free. We will also invite David from Nightingale Ghana, next semester to join the Network for free.
Minutes from the board you will always find on this page

Reminder
We have a You tube channel: Nightingale Mentor – Näktergalen
if you have any film or clip you want to add, please contact Carina.

Another reminder is to change your links from your own homepage to this page. Some of you have old links.

Next Network
Meeting/Conference
will be in Lillehammer, Norway, the 24th – 25th of February, 2022.
The theme will be “Supervision” and the day will include partner presentations and experience exchange.
The second day the 25th a lecture will be presented but there and we will also have time for discussions.



News from Spain/Catalunia
We are happy to share a new research article by partners in Girona. The research is showing evidence that mentors can help and promote positive intercultural relationships for young immigrants and refugees. They can for example play an important role promoting social, cultural, and linguistic inclusion.
Titel: Results of Mentoring in the Psychosocial Well-Being of Young Immigrants and Refugees in Spain by Anna Sánchez-Aragón,Angel Belzunegui-Eraso & Òscar Prieto-Flores 
Please read more on the page: “Nightingale research and evaluation”

News from Berlin:
Berlin have printed a nice new flyers/broschure.

Peter Stammerjohann´s book from 2019:
Bildungsprozesse in Padagogischen Begegnungsraumen: Irritationen ALS Bildungspotential Im Rahmen Der Organisation Von Interkulturellen Tandems is now avaliable. (but only in German)

There are also two more new article uploaded on the webpage about group mentoring.
See more at the page: “Research about mentoring”.

News from Malmö and Karlstad university, Sweden
I am happy to tell you that I have been elected as a honorary doctor- doctor honoris causa, at Karlstad University. The ceremony will take place the 3rd of December.

For those who understand Swedish and want to read more about it, please click here

Mentoring is an investment in so many ways for our future generation and a way to include them
in the society. I wish mentoring would be as important for our politicians as it is for us.
Agenda 2030 with 17 Global Goals goal is aiming to have the power to create a better world by 2030, by ending poverty, fighting inequality and addressing the urgency of climate change …but we have more work than ever to do! Guided by the goals, it is now up to all of us, governments, businesses, civil society and the general public to work together to build a better future for everyone.
I just also want to say: mentors and You have all worked hard aiming to include our next generation in the society and all of you have invested so much time and engagement but most of all you have the will to change and improve for other – You are doing so much for a better and sustainable society and I just want to say: YOU are so great!

As one national economist in Sweden once said: Don´t ask what it cost- ask instead what it cost not to do all this!
THANK YOU! Best wishes for a nice and relaxing summer and holiday!

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Dear Nightingale friends,
What a success.! Almost 30 participant at our first Zoominar the 24th of February – from Linz and Vienna in Austria, from Berlin, Germany, Zug in Switzerland, from Barcelona, Navarra and Girona in Spain, from different cities in Norway and from Karlstad and Malmö in Sweden. Thank you for doing this day, why not make it to a tradition!

A resumé:
* The idea to take part in partners research and be able to meet again – nice and positive.
* The Covid has made everyone more creative and innovative. Handwriting letters have been used and outdoors activities have been more common.
* Digital media etc. have been used more frequently but the inequality is also visible with children without computers or access to internet.
The board will discuss another Zoominar focusing on Mentoring in a holistic perspective.

Here you can down load Liv Randi Rolands PPT
Here is Peters Stammerjohanns PPT

NEWS FROM PARTNERS
Unfortunately we have sad news from Sweden “Näktergalen Kristianstad” which Fredrika Braw has been running together with students for many years but has now come to its end.
I want to thank Fredrika for her great work, her passion and her compassion over the years. I truly wish her good luck in the future. I also want to thank all students and those working in the program over the years but also the mentors, children, parents/caregivers and the participating schools.

Fredrikas letter to you:
“This year certainly brought us challenges, even aside from the ongoing pandemic which did not even let us start our work this semester.
Unfortunately, for financial reasons, our co-partner
Kristianstad Municipality decided to cancel the Nightingale partnership. Kristianstad University started The Nightingale Mentoring Network as a project in 2005 with a lot of help and support from our Nightingale Lady, Carina Sild Lönroth. It has involved approximately 20 nightingale pairs every year since.
Last year we even had a former mentee as a mentor and even became our coordinator this year. She wanted to give the same joy and experience to a child which she once was given by her mentor. That was one of those magic moments that we had the possibility to experience in the Nightingale – the impact.

So, this is our last goodbye. I am very grateful for having had the privilege to meet so many wonderful people, students, and kids over the past six years. And for having the opportunity to be the manager of this truly great organization.
So, instead of working with the Nightingale mentor teams this semester, we had to prepare for the liquidation. It is kind of a sad feeling going through all the stuff which has been used over the past 16 years. Storing it, putting it in the archives together with a lot of good memories.

Just to make a little something for all the kids that had been waiting to start their journey together with the mentor, but could not because of the tough university restrictions, we arranged a digital goodbye party. They were invited for a quiz, with nice prizes for everyone. They also got to look at short videos with greetings from the intended students.
Also, we packed four full boxes with all the stuff being left from our former activities but was no longer needed because of the shutdown. The boxes were delivered by our caretaker, marked as treasure chests, containing pearls, paint, balloons, board games and all kinds of different crafts together with a smaller box of snacks, candy, and soda to enjoy at the party. They were hidden in various locations at the school and could only be found with a treasure map.
The kids know they can do whatever they like with the treasure chests. Perhaps they will pass it on to other kids that need it more. Perhaps it could be the beginning of a new project arranged by the kids themselves.

We hope to see them all at the university in a few years!
Take care and keep up the fantastic job that you are doing out there!”
All the best!
Fredrika Braw

Remember
Don´t forget to look into our pages: “Nightingale research and evaluation” or “Research about mentoring“. They are often uploaded with new research and interesting reading about mentoring.

Best wishes to all.
You are doing a great work!

Dear Nightingale friends

The Covid pandemic has hit the world hard, especially our elderly but we can also see that children are affected. In the newsletter New York Time, the 21 of January, you could read about the facts that over 4 000 children in New York State have lost a parent to the Covid-19 virus and over half of those children are living in Bronx, Brooklyn or Queens! For some of these children however mentoring has been of a very big importance. So as we all know mentoring can make a difference.
Please read more by clicking on the link. NY Times the 21th of January

The Nightingale Network Meeting and Zoominar the 24th of February
“Dealing with challenges- becoming learning potentials”

The consequences of the Covid -19 for The Nightingale mentoring is something we now will have the possibility to discuss at our Network Meeting and the date is getting closer. Imagine last year we were lucky to meet just before the Corona pandemic broke out…

This year we will have our Nightingale Network meeting as a Zomminar-event and we will have the privilege to take part in two interesting lectures:

* What are the potentials? Looking at the caregivers role in mentoring.
and
* Dealing with irritations- challenging potentials of being mentors.

Hope all of you will share this zoominar-event in your own network at your University, local schools and in your municipality.
You can link to our webpage where the program already is uploaded (the zoominar link will come) Here is also a flyer available to you: Flyer for social Media)

Annual Report
The board have decided to continue with the Annual Report but you do not need to do the Mentor Evaluation any longer. So every year please fill in and send us The Annual Report.

Here is the compiled Annual Report so far from:
Austria: Linz
Norway: NTNU, Østfold, Agder, Lillehammer
Sweden: Kristianstad & Malmö

A new book
A new book about mentoring, Mentoring children and young people for social inclusion, edited by Oscar Prieto & Jordi Feu, Rossinyol, Girona.

One chapter: “Critical autonomy, social capital and mentoring programmes for children and youth” is written by colleagues from Girona University is written by our colleagues at Girona University.

Interesting research article
There is also an interesting research article about using social justice lens in mentoring is uploaded on the page: “Research about mentoring”. Take a look!