2025 - 26 GEM Mentee Application

1. Please read the following prior to beginning your application:

About GEM
Girls E-Mentorship (GEM) was designed by girls for girls. Our mission is to advance gender equity and women's economic well-being by providing personalized career mentorship and hands-on learning to female high school students navigating barriers to education and employment. Through mentorship, GEM supports young women to envision their full potential and take effective action toward their goals. Over 1000 mentees have graduated from our mentorship program since 2014.

The Mentorship Program
Our core mentorship program runs concurrently with the school year (Sept-May), delivered by our dedicated staff, volunteers, and partners. GEM mentees are individually matched with a female career mentor, meeting (virtually or in-person) on a monthly basis. Through one-to-one mentorship and hands-on learning experiences, mentees develop skills for success and are supported with scholarships and employment opportunities via our partner network. After completing the program, mentees remain connected through the GEM Alumni Network, with ongoing access to mentorship, career guidance and opportunities.

Ready to start your mentorship journey?

Becoming a GEM Mentee: Timeline and Process

1. Submit Application Form by May 2nd.
We kindly request that all mentee applicants complete this form to share about your experience, aspirations, and motivations for becoming a GEM mentee.

2. Complete Virtual Interview
Select applicants will be invited to complete a short virtual interview focused on your experiences, attitudes, learning goals, and expectations.

3. Acceptance
Applicants selected to be a mentee will receive a notice of acceptance (via email) in early July 2025. All mentees are required to sign a Participation Waiver and complete a Mentorship Matching Questionnaire.

4. Matching and Program Start

Using responses from the matching questionnaire, we will pair you with a mentor based on multiple criteria such as shared identity and experiences, mutual interests, location, and education/career alignment. Matching occurs during July and August. Mentee orientation will be in the first week of September on Zoom.

Eligibility Details:
To qualify as a GEM Mentee, you must live in the GTA or Hamilton, and be enrolled in high school at the start of the program in September 2025.

If you have any questions, please email our mentee lead Erika at Erika@girlsementorship.com

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* 1. Contact Information

First Name

Last Name

Residential address

City/Town (City of Toronto, Hamilton, Durham, Halton, Peel, York)

Province

Your Personal Email Address (NOT School Email Address)

Your Cell Phone Number ( If you do not have a cellphone number please provide your home phone number)

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* 2. Please provide us with the email address you check most often:

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* 3. What are your preferred pronouns?

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* 4. Do you live in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) or Hamilton?

Yes

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* 5. What is your postal code?

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* 6. What grade will you be entering in September 2025?

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* 7. What high school do you attend?

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* 8. What religion or belief system do you identify with?

Athiest

Buddhism

Christianity

Confucianism

Islam

Jainism

Judaism

Hinduism

Indigenous Belief System

Personal Belief System

Shinto

Sikhism

Taoism

Agnostic

Prefer not to disclose

Other (please specify)

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* 9. What languages do you speak? Please check all that apply.

French

Arabic

First Nations Language

Bengali

Cantonese/Chinese/Mandarin

Tagalog

German

Gujarati

Hindi

Italian

Korean

Nepali

Punjabi

Russian

Somali

Spanish

Tamil

Urdu

Vietnamese

Japanese

Jamaican Patois

Other (please specify)

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* 10. What cultural/ethnic group(s) do you identify with? Check all that apply.

Caribbean (e.g. Bermudan, Bahamian, Jamaican, Guyanese, Trinidadian, etc.)

African (e.g. Ethiopian, Ghanaian, Nigerian, etc.)

European (e.g. British, German, French, Italian, Greek, etc.)

Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, Metis, Multiple indigenous identities, etc.)

Latinx (e.g. Central American, South American, etc.)

Middle Eastern (e.g. Israeli, Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, etc.)

West Asian (e.g. Turkish, Armenian, Azeri, etc.)

Central Asian (e.g. Iranian, Afghani, Kazakhstani, Uzbekistani, etc.)

East Asian (e.g. Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc.)

South Asian (e.g. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri-Lankan, etc.)

South East Asian (e.g. Vietnamese, Filipino, Malaysian, etc.)

Pacific Islander (e.g. Polynesian, etc.)

North American (e.g., Canadian, American, Mexican, etc.)

Prefer not to disclose

Other (please specify)

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* 11. Do you identify as a member of the LGBTQ2SIA+ community?

Yes

Prefer not to disclose

Other (please specify)

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* 12. What is your status in Canada?

Refugee

Permanent Resident

Student Visa

First Generation Canadian Citizen (Born outside of Canada)

Second Generation Canadian Citizen (Born in Canada to parents born outside of Canada)

Third Generation (+) Canadian Citizen (Born in Canada to parents born in Canada to grandparents born outside of Canada)

Prefer not to disclose

Other (please specify)

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* 13. Do you have a disability (a physical or mental condition that limits your movement, senses, or activities)?

Yes

Prefer not to disclose

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* 14. Do you have an IEP?

Yes

Other (please specify)

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* 15. As per the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), GEM endeavors to support all Mentees and ensure that they are able to participate fully and get the most out of our program. If you require additional accommodations to participate, please indicate them below.

No accommodations required

I require additional accommodations (Please specify)

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* 16. In a few sentences, please tell us a bit about yourself. What are you passionate about? What are your hobbies, interests, or responsibilities outside of school?

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* 17. Why are you interested in being a GEM Mentee?

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* 18. How can GEM's mentorship program help you progress toward your goals?

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Types of Mentorship at GEM

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* 19. What style of mentorship are you most interested in?

General mentorship

Career-specific guidance

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* 20. If you are interested in a career specific mentorship. Which field of work interests you most? Pick your top 2 options.

Hospitals and Healthcare (Ex: Doctor, Psychologist, Vegetarian, Nurse, Dentist, Physical Therapist, Social Work)

Business and Finance (Ex: Marketing, Accounting, Entrepeneur, Real Estate)

Law and Government (Ex: Lawyer/Attorney, Paralegal, Police Officer, Policy Analyst)

Technology and Engineering (Ex: Software Developer/Engineer, Data Scientist)

Creative Industries (Ex: Writer, Performing Arts, Graphic Designer, Film, TV, and Media, Music, Painter)

Social Sciences (Ex: Non-Profit, Education, Urban Planner)

General Mentorship

50% of survey complete.