Mentorship
Help shape the next generation of student leaders fighting for global health equity.
Become a Mentor with Students for Partners In Health Canada.
What is the Mentorship Circle?
The Mentorship Circle is a group of volunteer mentors who support Students for Partners In Health Canada teams throughout the campaign year.
Mentors are not there to simply give instructions or have all the answers. They help student leaders think through challenges, strengthen their teams, build confidence, stay connected to the wider network, and grow as organizers.
Why become a mentor?
Across Canada, student leaders are organizing their campuses around a simple but radical belief: health care is a human right.
They are building chapters, running campaigns, hosting events, learning how to organize, and bringing more people into the movement for global health equity.
But movements do not grow on energy alone.
They grow when leaders are supported.
When questions have somewhere to go.
When challenges are met with care, strategy, and solidarity.
When someone who has been there before says: You’re not alone. Let’s figure this out together.
That’s where mentors come in.
A strong mentor listens carefully, asks good questions, shares what they’ve learned, and helps teams move from uncertainty to action.
In other words: mentorship is not about taking over, it’s about building capacity in others.
As one former mentor shared:
“Being a coach has changed the way that I approach and solve challenges with different groups of people. Coaching has shown me how to generate solutions and ideas by empowering others and figuring out how to ask the right questions.”
Who should apply?
This opportunity is open to anyone who is passionate about global health equity and excited to support the next generation of student leaders.
This role may be a good fit if you:
- Have experience leading, supporting, or organizing with a student team
- Care deeply about health equity, social justice, and collective action
- Enjoy helping people think through challenges
- Are a strong communicator and thoughtful listener
- Want to stay involved with SPIHC in a meaningful leadership role
- Believe leadership is not about being the loudest person in the room, but about helping others find their power
SPIHC is committed to building a movement that reflects the communities most impacted by global health inequity. We especially encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds and historically marginalized communities to apply.
What mentors do
- As a mentor, you will support up to three SPIHC teams over the June 2026–June 2027 campaign year.
- You will meet with team leaders regularly, help them work through challenges, share resources and network updates, and contribute to the wider Mentorship Circle.
- You will also take part in onboarding, mentor meetings, retreats, and key SPIHC moments like Training Institute.
The heart of the role is simple:
Help student leaders feel supported, connected, and ready to act.
Time commitment
Mentors should expect to commit approximately 8–10 hours per month, with a higher commitment of approximately 15 hours per month in July and August leading up to Training Institute.
Training Institute will take place in Toronto from September 11–13, 2026, with a pre-TI Mentorship Circle team-building event on September 10.
What you’ll gain
- Mentorship is a chance to stay close to the movement while deepening your own leadership practice.
- You will build skills in coaching, facilitation, communication, strategy, and relational organizing. You will learn how to support teams without taking over, how to ask better questions, and how to help others lead with clarity and purpose.
- You will also be part of a circle of peers committed to learning together, supporting one another, and strengthening the SPIHC network across Canada.
As one mentor put it:
“It’s been tremendously rewarding to think through challenges together with team leaders and see how they not only address those challenges based on what we discuss but also apply the same process to subsequent challenges months later.”
Apply to become a mentor
If you are ready to support student leaders, strengthen the SPIHC network, and help build the movement for the right to health, we invite you to apply.
The application takes approximately 15–20 minutes to complete.
Application deadline: May 30, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET
If you are invited to become a mentor, you will receive a finalized description of expectations and responsibilities before being asked to formally commit.
For questions, please contact zshaaban@pih.org or your team’s coach.