A program that would have been unthinkable five years ago is strengthening guidance and connections for students pursuing a career in teaching.
The Faculty of Education’s Alumni Network, recently named the 2025 Network of the Year by the York University Alumni Board, has launched a pilot mentorship program that pairs alumni with York University BEd students to provide career insights and build professional relationships.
“We relaunched the network after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, and we are rebuilding,” says Jason Singh, a 2011 York graduate and director of education for Medix College’s health care programs, who serves as Chair of the group. “Post-COVID, people want to connect and our objective is to engage them and connect them back to the Faculty and York University.”
Created in partnership with the Faculty of Education Students’ Association (FESA), the program has facilitated 70 mentor-mentee pairs since launching and continues to gain momentum.
Second-year BEd student Myra Mahmood, who chaired the FESA component of the collaboration, says the revamped pilot program supports student-alumni engagement and offers new opportunities for students to access real-world perspectives.
“We’ve always had a mentorship program within the student government, but it focused on second-year BEd students mentoring first-year counterparts,” says Mahmood. “We felt it would be meaningful to have mentors in the field who could provide guidance and information about careers in a casual way.”
Devonte Ellis, FESA president, notes the program has been “a game-changer for a lot of students.”
The two groups created a framework requiring mentor-mentee pairs to meet three times per semester. Each pair decides how to meet (e.g., in person, via Zoom, etc.) and for how long. FESA created a handbook with guidelines, conversation ideas, expectations and contacts, and the partners launched the program in Fall 2024 with an online kickoff.
The feedback has been positive with many pairs connecting more than the required three times per semester.
“[Networking] is so important in this day and age,” says Mahmood. “Everyone says that your network makes your net worth. You want to have connections who support you in the profession.”
Professor Rob Savage, dean of the Faculty of Education, is delighted to see the Alumni Network blossoming and the mentorship program going strong.
“We have a really super group of people who have put a lot of energy into revitalizing the Alumni Network; Jason has galvanized a strong team, and there is clearly interest from alumni in maintaining a University connection,” Savage says.
The initial idea grew from the Faculty’s focus on practical, collaborative, non-hierarchial mentoring, which was already in place for faculty members.
“We looked to our Alumni Network as a way of helping our current students with focused support from someone who had been there,” says Savage. “Mentors feel that they are doing good, and they are also up-to-date on the living realities of the classroom. There are benefits on both sides as you move away from a hierarchical relationship; these can also become important professional relationships.
“It seems to have worked very well, and there will be some informal exploration into our perceptions of success and follow-ups on how to take the program forward.”
The program partners are planning a celebration at the end of the academic year, providing participants with the opportunity to mingle. Students will receive certificates of program completion and mentors will be encouraged to take part in next year’s program.
“We have such a great network of people worldwide doing amazing things,” says Singh, “and there are lots of options open for our graduates. This mentorship initiative is one of several efforts underway to re-energize the Alumni Network and strengthen life-long connections between the Faculty and current students.”
Plans to expand the mentorship program are underway. In early 2026, The Alumni Network will launch Chalk and Change, a podcast that “brings together educators, alumni and thought leaders to talk about the transformation taking place in classrooms, in leadership and in how we learn,” says Singh. “Every episode is a conversation that sparks reflection and offers practical insight. Whether you’re teaching, leading, or just curious about education’s next chapter, you’ll find something here.”
In Fall 2026, the program will expand to include alumni-to-alumni pairings, further strengthening alumni engagement and community building within the Faculty.
With files from Elaine Smith