The New School Graduate Program in International Affairs

The Mentor Application Deadline is September 28th. To Apply click here 

Media Concentration students please notice: The GPIA Mentoring program will be in partnership with the Urban Assembly Media High School (UAM). This program should be of special interest to you!!!!!

Urban Assembly Media High School is a small collage preparatory high school that uses media as a way of engaging students and making their learning relevant to them. Through their interdisciplinary coursework and media studies, students develop the self-reflective practices and analytical skills necessary for future success in collage, and beyond. The Urban Assembly Media High School draws on the media, in all its forms, to excite students about their education, examine complex issues that span diverse subject areas, draw connections between classroom instruction and real-life activities, and prepare students for college and professional careers. By analyzing and producing media—including radio, television, film, photojournalism and advertising, students become effective communicators, informed citizens and critical thinkers.

Among the 'Highlights' of the UAM are a monthly students' producation television program, Internships with partners such as Children’s PressLine, Manhattan Neighborhood Network and Harlem Live!, Internships at Time Warner which pairs Hispanic students with Hispanic mentors in the publishing industry, and a monthly film series sponsored by Human Rights Watch and Breakthrough which teaches UAM students about human rights issues and documentary filmmaking.

UAM is located at Martin Luther King Jr. Campus, 122 Amsterdam Avenue (close to Lincoln Center)

The GPIA-UAM mentoring Program offers UAM students the opportunity to work closely with GPIA students over the course of the academic year, and receive mentoring on the form of, but not restricted to, exposure to the university environment, career guidance, and academic support. Mentor enable students to pursue their goal in a focused manner and realize their full potential, becoming the critical bridge that links the student's educational experience with their long term goals. 

UAM mentees will be 10th graders who are willing and committed to developing and maintaining a mentor relationship with a graduate student. mentees are selected on the basis of their potential to rise above and beyond their current capacity.

General Information:

Following its tradition of combining practical experience with academic research, the Graduate Program of International Affairs initiated a partnership with the non-profit organization Urban Assembly (UA), which creates and manages a community of New York City Public Schools attended by students from under-resourced neighborhoods. Beginning in the Fall 2009 semester the UA-GPIA partnership will give selected GPIA students the opportunity to become personal mentors to UA students, to develop a one-to-one bond with a young student and to make a critical contribution to his or her intellectual, emotional and social progress.

The UA-GPIA partnership will be based on a school/college mentoring model, in which students visit the New School and mentors visit the mentees school once a month for 2 hour sessions in each location, each time (all together - minimum of 4 hours a month). These visits will also be coupled with off-site activities such as museums, parks, galleries, etc. Mentoring sessions will be 'one on one' session but will be held at the same time and place as the other sessions.

Participating students will go through a special one day training session in September at the New School. Urban Assembly gives each mentor individualized training, suggested activities and ongoing expert support from a mentor coordinator. In addition, mentors will participate in workshops, program evaluations and focus group meeting throughout the academic year.

The GPIA hopes to make this partnership an integral component of its program and highly encourages its student to participate in it. Students should see this program as an opportunity to add practical experience to their studies, to learn about the many and diverse faces of New York City, to operate in the 'real' world, and to give back to the community by helping to positively influence its young people. 

GPIA believes that community service of this kind can complement its students international affairs practice and education and can contribute to its students' understanding of fundamental local and global problems.

Program Process and Commitment

• Fill out an Application and undergo Urban Assembly's screening process. To Complete an Application, click here
• Participate with other students in a traning session at the New School
• Commit to at least one school year, following The New School's academic schedule, with the understanding that a  longer mentoring relationship is the most effective and the most desirable
• Commit to 4-6 hours a month of in person interaction including but not limited to:
             - 1 in person meeting at The New School per month
             - 1 in person meeting at The Urban Assembly Media High School per month
             - Email communication via iMentor Interactive
             - Participation in GPIA organized workshops/meetings

Mentoring Program Target Dates:  Please note that these dates are subject to change based on mentor availability.

1.  Mentor Application deadline: Monday, September 28^th.

2.  Mentor Interviews & Fingerprints @ The New School: Wednesday, September 30^th from 6:00-8:30pm. 

3.  Mentor Training Session @ The New School: Wednesday, October 7^th from 6:00-8:00pm. 

4.  Mentoring Program Kick-off @ The Urban Assembly Media High School: Thursday, October 15^th from 4:00-6:00pm.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor to further develop a mentoring program partnership with The Urban Assembly Media High School and The New School GPIA, please contact Tal Avivi, GPIA Mentoring Program Coordinator, at avivt697@newschool.edu