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Race Forward

Launched in the summer of 2021, Race Forward is a program for Black-identifying undergraduate students (Black students) at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

Run by TMU's Career, Co-op and Student Success and the Tri-Mentoring Program, the program focuses on helping students with career growth through professional development, networking and mentorship.

Information for Students
Information for Mentors

The Race Forward Program Aims to Help Black Students

 Explore 

  • Explore different career paths
  • Understand their strengths and what they can do

 Connect

  • Talk about their identities as Black professionals in a safe space
  • Learn to handle conflict and bias at work

 Grow

  • Grow their professional networks
  • Connect with Black mentors and role models

 

Information for Students

Mentee applications for the 2024 program are now closed. Please consider applying next year.

  • Duration: May to August
  • Who can apply: 50 Black TMU undergraduate students (must have a clear academic standing with a 1.67 CGPA minimum)
  • Focus: Explore your identity, understand your strengths, and connect with Black professionals
  • Commitment: Five workshops and a requirement to maintain a relationship with a career mentor over the summer

Two Black students in hijabs laugh while posing at an event in the TMU Quad. 

 

Information for Mentors

Mentor applications for the 2024 program are now closed. Please consider applying next year.

We recruit Black professionals based on the needs of the mentees.

Typically, a look for mentors who are working full-time in their field and can be available to interact with their mentee twice per month for a minimum of 30 minutes each time. Mentors must be able to provide students with support and career advice while helping them explore their identity in relation to their field of study and work.

Are you an interested mentor? Check out our list of frequently asked mentor questions.

A student and mentor look at a laptop screen together at a library table. 

Mentor FAQ

The mentoring relationships will be up to the mentor and mentee to - whether you choose to meet online, in person, or both. The workshops will be online and those who are traveling/overseas are encouraged to connect with their mentee virtually. Keep in mind, government and/or TMU regulations may be subject to change - we’ll be abiding by the latest direction given.

If you have not participated as a mentor before and are not signed up on PeopleGrove:

  1. Please sign up at torontomu.peoplegrove.com (external link, opens in new window)  as an Alumni or Non-Alumni Mentor
  2. When asked if you're joining as part of a mentoring program, please select Yes and Race Forward
  3. When asked if you're joining as part of a group, please select No
  4. A Tri-Mentoring Program (TMP) admin will approve your profile on our platform first, and then on the Race Forward program, where there are videos and resources to acquaint yourself with the program.

If you are a returning mentor and are signed up on PeopleGrove, please join the Race Forward program on PeopleGrove (external link, opens in new window)  and answer the prompted questions.

If you are unsure which you fit into, please contact raceforward@torontomu.ca.

No, the program is free to participate in.

No. Mentors participating in the Race Forward program are participating on a voluntary basis and do not receive compensation.

We will inform all mentors on their matches by mid-April/early May. If you have any questions regarding your match, please reach out to raceforward@torontomu.ca.

Your mentee will be a Black undergraduate student. Participants have a range of interests and mentorship needs. The Race Forward program interviews all participants to ensure they are prepared and willing to participate fully in the program.

When you apply, we will ask which professions you would like to be a mentor for and will take this into consideration if you are successfully accepted into the program. Though we can't guarantee that we will find a mentee that is a direct match to your fields of expertise, we believe there is a wealth of knowledge to be learned within the industry. We will do our best to match mentors and mentees as efficiently and accurately as possible.

 Contact Us

If you are a student or a mentor with any additional questions, please contact the Race Forward team at raceforward@torontomu.ca.