The purpose of the Nightingale program is to let a child meet an adult student (a mentor) with whom they can find new and pleasant activities together. The child will gain an insight into the mentor's everyday life at the university, and receive training in developing their language and social skills. It is also a goal to strengthen the child’s self-esteem and to inspire them to invest in school and education for their future. Through regular meetings with a child, the students who are mentors will learn how to build relationships with a child, and how to work with the child and their families. This will contribute to increased participation and improve the mentors’ cultural understanding.
What can my child get by participating in Nightingale:
A professional and positive role model, support and a friend.
Access to joint events organized by Nightingale, together with their mentors.
Meetings with activities to look forward to every week.
To Explore the opportunities for activities that exist around the local communities and Bodø city together with a mentor, and get confident in social participating.
The opportunity to have some insight about what it is like to be a university student in Norway, including visiting the university, and learn about the students' school life.
How do we choose a mentor for your child?
The students who are to be mentors send us information forms, references and a police certificate of conduct. This information will be checked and the students will be interviewed. Before the child and the mentor meet, the mentors will also participate in several lectures to learn about being a mentor.
We match the mentor and the child based on the information we collect in the registration forms and the interview. The purpose is to ensure a safe and good atmosphere so that the children and mentors can get on well with each other.
A joint ‘kick-off’ or get-to-know-you gathering will be arranged at Nord University one evening in October, where the participated children and mentors meet for the first time. The children's families are also invited. The first meeting after this start-up gathering will usually take place at the child's home. The parents, child and the mentor will then have a good opportunity to get to know each other better.
What happens next is up to you to find out jointly between the parents, the child and the mentor. The idea is that the mentor and the child shall take part in activities that are fun and exciting. It should mostly be everyday activities with low costs, such as playing games, chatting, going for a walk, cooking, going to the cinema, theatre, etc. The nightingale also organizes joint activities, such as sports, trips, excursions, competitions etc.
(We will follow the national and local rules concerning Corona-pandemics in planning and organizing joint activities.)
What can I expect as the parent?
As parent, you can make an agreement with the mentor, and have an overview of where and when the mentor and your child are to meet and what kind of activities they have planned. The parents must notify the mentor if the child is ill or unable to attend for other reasons.
The relationship between the mentor and the child is personal. The mentor should not be used as a mentor for other children in the family. There is a clear framework around how much time the mentor and your child shall spend together. Generally speaking, the mentor shall spend 2-3 hours per week, excluding holidays.
Consent
All parents shall fill out and sign the consent form, which is a formal declaration of participation in the Nightingale. This shall be done either before or at the kick-off gathering. The mentors shall also sign an agreement to participate in the Nightingale.