“The curiosity, intelligence and wonder of the young women grounded me on many levels, reminding me that no matter what age, people are so full of wisdom and a desire for authentic connection. Watching my mentee grow and blossom into a woman who is learning to uncover her own strength has been inspiring.”
Join our 2024 Team!
~Applications Open March, 2024~
Become a mentor for our 6-month Rite of Passage Program for the unique experience of holding girls and non-binary youth in love and community as they transition into young womanhood. Witness their courage, passion, and explosive beauty as you support them to discover their individual gifts and shine.
Being a Fire and Flower mentor is a blend of 1-on-1 time with your mentee and community time with all mentors, participants, guest instructors and sometimes families. The 1-on-1 time can be much like a Big Sisters relationship, hanging out and doing free or low-cost activities (we have lots of suggestions!). Community time brings everyone together in facilitated activities, recognizing that we belong to something greater and there is strength, power and synergy when we gather.
We provide training specifically on rites of passage and coming-of-age to guide all mentors through this special 6-month process. Your involvement is therefore two-fold: learning about the unique arc and details of a transformational rite of passage, and the precious opportunity to put that learning into action by intimately supporting a youth as they comes-of-age… all within an amazing community of youth and women! Witnessing young people’s inner fires ignite is truly awe-inspiring and we hope you’ll join us in this grand adventure!
Please note that you MUST be comfortable sleeping in a tent and hiking with a sizeable backpack for about an hour.
BEFORE APPLYING PLEASE REVIEW THE SCHEDULE TO ENSURE YOU ARE AVAILABLE FOR ALL REQUIRED DATES.
Why is your mentor role so important?
Coming-of-age is the time in youth when focus and awareness starts to shift from ‘home & family’ to the larger community or world. It’s a rich period of self-discovery where we naturally start pushing boundaries to expand our sense of self and belonging in the world. We usually feel, experience and think about A LOT as we’re going through so many changes.
In pre-modern times, as youth moved away from parental dependence, cultures around the world had rites of passage where mentors and elders stepped in to guide this self-discovery toward finding personal gifts and developing confidence. Young people’s natural need for risk and experimentation was met through appropriate challenges aimed to catalyze the geniuses that were ready to emerge. The whole village would honour and celebrate the transition.
Our modern Western culture sorely lacks such support, and many youth are coming-of-age with mainly the media and their peers for guidance. Girls and non-binary youth learn very limiting ideas about beauty, power, body image, emotions and sex which can have negative effects on self-esteem and impede growth into their full potential.
Your presence as a mentor is therefore invaluable, and as a Fire & Flower mentor, you will accompany a special individual as they step into the powerful time of young womanhood/adulthood.
This, of course, is a big deal!
How will I be matched with my mentee?
Mentors and mentees meet in Session 1 (see schedule below). After some activities to get to know each other, we facilitate a process where the mentees select their top choices of mentors confidentially. We trust that the youth, consciously and/or intuitively, will know who is best suited for them in this journey and will encourage them to follow this knowing. We then look at their selections and make final matches that respect mentees’ choices as best we can.
Your Mentoring Program Includes:
- Womanhood ceremony to honour yourself before supporting the youth.
- Mentor training in May.
- 1-on-1 time with your mentee for weekly May-Aug, then bi-weekly Sep-Oct. Missing a few weeks for work or vacation is fine, but consider calls for such occasions.
- 4 group sessions: 1 daylong facilitated gathering per month on weekends in May, June, Sep and Oct.
- 5-day overnight camping adventure in July for rite of passage ceremony.
- Mentor check-ins: periodic Zoom calls to address concerns and prepare for upcoming program themes.
*Support is available at any time during the program from our program guides and counsellor.
*Sessions are held in Vancouver with the exception of hikes in local areas (eg. North Vancouver) and our 5-day trip in the Lower Mainland.
For dates, program structure and curriculum, please see schedule below.
Financial Investment
$600-$800 sliding scale
Fee covers 10 days of facilitated programming, training and support throughout the 6-months, and all food, transportation & accommodations for the 5-day camping trip. Camping equipment is not provided but certain items can be borrowed.
Payment plans available.
If the cost is the only thing holding you back, please Contact Us and we’ll make it work!
Other Requirements
Criminal Record Check – free through our organization. If you have one from last year it will suffice.
Application Process
Please fill out and submit the MENTOR APPLICATION FORM by Sunday April 14th, 2024 (2 references required).
We will review your application and contact you for a phone interview. Final decisions will be made by April 21, 2024 and we will contact you shortly after.
Successful applicants need to have a Criminal Record Check completed, which is free through our organization.
Please note that if you are the mother of a current participant, you cannot be a mentor as you have a very different and important role in your child's life as they go through their rite of passage. Please join us next time.