May 14, 2026 Mentor Canada News, Updates, and Opportunities - May 2026
2026 Summer Institute
Shaping the Futures of Black Youth: Bridging Research and Practice in Culturally Responsive Mentorship
📅 Date: July 27–30, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM ET
📍 Location: University of Calgary
The Summer Institute on Youth Mentoring is an advanced professional enrichment experience for experienced practitioners and leaders in youth development. Over four days, participants engage with leading researchers and peers through immersive workshops, presentations, and facilitated dialogue.
The 2026 Institute focuses on mentoring Black youth, highlighting approaches that build on the strengths and assets of Black youth and their communities while integrating frameworks that address anti‑Black racism and cultural responsiveness.
Key themes include:
- Centring Black youth voice and agency in mentoring
- Cultural humility and trust‑building across racial differences
- Natural mentorship and engaging families and social networks
- Designing mentoring programs that affirm Black identity and support critical consciousness
- Addressing barriers to mentorship access for Black youth
The Institute is designed for experienced professionals who influence mentoring practice, program design, and organizational decision‑making. With space limited to 25 participants, don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and strengthen evidence-based practice within your organization.
Deadline to apply: May 15, 2026
2026 Canadian Mentoring Summit
The Canadian Mentoring Summit returns this November in Ottawa, bringing together practitioners, researchers, policymakers, educators, and private sector leaders from across Canada to shape the future of mentoring.
📅 Date: November 3-4, 2026
📍 Location: Delta Hotel Ottawa
✨ Early-bird registration opens later this month! Stay tuned for the official launch, as discounted pricing will be available for a limited time.
We’re also excited to share that sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are now available.
As the only national conference convening the mentoring ecosystem, the 2026 CMS offers a unique platform to showcase your organization, build meaningful partnerships, and connect directly with a highly engaged network of leaders and changemakers.
🔗 Sponsorship opportunities: https://mentorcanada.ca/en/2026-canadian-mentoring-summit/2026-canadian-mentoring-summit-sponsorship-opportunities
🔗 Exhibitor information: https://mentorcanada.ca/en/2026-canadian-mentoring-summit/exhibit-2026-canadian-mentoring-summit
Mentor Me Equal Toolkit
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the virtual launch of the Mentor Me Equal Toolkit on April 15th.
If you missed it, or want to revisit the discussion, you can now watch the full recording below. ⬇️
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The session introduced Mentor Me Equal, a newly launched free, bilingual, research‑backed toolkit designed to help organizations build mentorship programs that drive inclusion and support the advancement of women and gender‑diverse people. From practical strategies to implementation guidance, the toolkit provides actionable tools to create more equitable workplaces and career pathways.
📰 In the News: Mentorship Recognized as Workforce Training
The importance of mentorship as a workforce development tool is also being recognized at the policy level. A recent article in La Presse highlights updates to Quebec’s “Loi du 1 %”, which now expands eligible training activities and simplifies the process for employers.
Notably, mentorship and coaching are now explicitly recognized as eligible forms of training, reflecting a growing understanding of their role in building skills, supporting career development, and strengthening organizations.
👉 Read the article: https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/2026-04-10/loi-du-1/davantage-de-formations-admissibles-et-un-processus-simplifie.php
New! Foundations of Mentoring
Program Launching Soon!
We are excited to launch the new Foundations of Mentoring training on May 25, an updated and enhanced version of our core training formerly known as Mentor Orientation*.
Developed in partnership with Alberta Mentoring Partnership and funded by RBC Foundation, this training equips mentors with the essential knowledge and practical tools needed to support safe, inclusive, and high-quality mentoring.
Stay tuned for the official launch and experience the next evolution of mentor training in Canada.
*If you’ve previously taken Mentor Orientation, you should have received an email with details about the transition to the new program, including access timelines. If you have any questions, please contact info@mentorcanada.ca.
Christian Rummel Cohort on Strengthening Support for 2SLGBTQIA+ Mentees: A Training for Mentors
📅 Date: July 2026
📍 Location: Virtual
We are pleased to share that we are partnering with Dr. Christian Rummel at Mentorist to launch Strengthening Support for 2SLGBTQIA+ Mentees: A Training for Mentors.
As part of this work, we’re offering a one-time, free summer cohort opportunity for mentoring program staff—a unique professional development experience designed to build stronger, more inclusive mentoring practices.
This facilitated learning community will bring practitioners together to:
- Build awareness and deepen understanding of 2SLGBTQIA+ experiences
- Share perspectives and learn across different program contexts
- Develop practical skills to create safe, affirming, and inclusive mentoring environments
Grounded in the Assets of PRIDE framework, the cohort complements Mentor Canada’s self-paced training and equips participants with tools they can immediately apply within their programs and mentoring relationships.
This initiative is funded by RBC Foundation, supporting the ongoing work to advance equity and inclusion in mentoring across Canada.
Upcoming Webinar: Sustainable Approaches to Mentoring in Schools
📅 Date: May 14, 2026
⏰ Time: 3:00 pm ET
📍 Location: Zoom
Join the Canadian Centre for Mentoring Research for a panel discussing sustainable approaches to mentoring in schools, drawing from both school-based programs and research-based insights. Our panel of researchers and mentoring in schools experts will share what they have learned working with K-12 schools to provide mentoring programs for students. Backed by recent studies and real-world stories, the discussion will highlight ways to build relationships to foster collaboration to support the development and maintenance of mentoring programs for students. This event is essential for those looking to foster partnerships in schools or in community, with the aim of providing mentoring in schools.
Speakers:
- Dr. Teena Starlight (EverActive Schools and the Indigenous Youth Mentoring Program)
- Dr. Kate Storey (University of Alberta)
- Dr. Ali Cloth (University of British Columbia)
- Dr. Alisha Wissanji (Fondation W, School of the Greats/École des grands)
Mentor Canada at the Next Gen Now Global Summit
📅 Date: May 15, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:00 am - 1:30 pm ET
📍 Location: Virtual
Tune in this Friday as we take part in the Next Gen Now Global Summit, contributing to a global conversation on how young leaders are creating change. This session will highlight Mentor Canada’s research and initiatives demonstrating how mentoring strengthens youth skills, leadership, and sense of belonging—while offering practical approaches for organizations looking to meaningfully engage young people.
Session Speakers:
- Sydney Piggott (Mentor Canada)
- Imogen Kane (UNICEF Australia)
👉 Register using code FRIENDGLOBAL for a discount!
Mentor Canada at the CEWIL Conference
📅 Date: May 20, 2026
⏰ Time: 2:30 - 3:15 pm ET
📍 Location: CEWIL Conference - Ottawa, ON
We're proud to be taking part in this year's CEWIL Conference, presenting The Mentorship Effect: Mentoring as a Lever for Inclusive Work-Integrated Learning, showcasing a national initiative that embeds high-quality mentoring into co-ops, internships, and other work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. Delivered in collaboration with partners at the Social Research and Demonstration Corporation and Student Commission of Canada, this work is helping transform youth employment pathways—particularly for equity-deserving youth.
Session Speakers:
- Sydney Piggott (Mentor Canada)
- Blanche Monabeka (Mentor Canada)
- Tracy Luca-Huger (Mentor Canada)
- Cam Nguyen (SRDC)
- Kaitlin Power (Students Commission of Canada)
Mentor Canada at the CASE Conference
📅 Date: June 11, 2026
⏰ Time: 9:30 - 10:30 am ET
📍 Location: CASE Conference - Ottawa, ON
Visit us at the CASE Conference this June, where we will be presenting a French session on Unlocking Doors: Mentoring to Strengthen Skills and Support Career Pathways Spotlight on Youth with Disabilities (Ouvrir des portes : Le mentorat pour renforcer les compétences et soutenir les parcours professionnels des jeunes en situation de handicap), showcasing national research on how mentoring supports youth with disabilities in building skills, accessing opportunities, and improving well-being.
Session speakers:
- Véronique Church-Duplessis (Mentor Canada)
- Sydney Piggott (Mentor Canada)