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Mentória

Programme
Transforming schools from within - transforming secondary schools into successful learning communities
Topics
Addressing school dropout - Enhancing employability
Start year
2025
Duration
36 months
Status
Ongoing
Region
Slovakia

For over 12 years, Mentória has supported education in Slovakia by fostering the personal and professional growth of teachers.

Initially active for 10 years within the organisation LEAF, and for the past two and a half years as an independent entity, Mentória has trained more than 1,500 teachers and school staff through mentoring and coaching programmes.

A further 200 school mentors are currently undergoing training. Mentória works closely with schools to strengthen teaching competences, introduce innovative methodologies, and promote inclusive, collaborative school cultures.

It was the first organisation in Slovakia to develop a teacher development system based on mentoring—later adopted by the Ministry of Education and implemented across Regional Teacher Support Centres for primary schools.

Mentória’s model promotes training, educational innovation, and the exchange of good practices.

Its main activities include individual teacher development programmes, school transformation initiatives based on team collaboration and activating teaching methods, and the training of 200 public school mentors across 23 regional centres.

The organisation also offers short-term (including online) mentoring courses, one-to-one support, supervision, and has published Slovakia’s first book on school mentoring. Mentória organises training events, connects schools and teachers across the country, and has hosted two editions of the International Conference on Mentoring and Coaching in Education, with over 300 participants from six countries.

It has also supported projects targeting marginalised youth and trained 50 vocational school teachers in 21st-century skills.

For over 12 years, Mentória has supported education in Slovakia by fostering the personal and professional growth of teachers.

Initially active for 10 years within the organisation LEAF, and for the past two and a half years as an independent entity, Mentória has trained more than 1,500 teachers and school staff through mentoring and coaching programmes.

A further 200 school mentors are currently undergoing training. Mentória works closely with schools to strengthen teaching competences, introduce innovative methodologies, and promote inclusive, collaborative school cultures.

It was the first organisation in Slovakia to develop a teacher development system based on mentoring—later adopted by the Ministry of Education and implemented across Regional Teacher Support Centres for primary schools.

Mentória’s model promotes training, educational innovation, and the exchange of good practices.

Its main activities include individual teacher development programmes, school transformation initiatives based on team collaboration and activating teaching methods, and the training of 200 public school mentors across 23 regional centres.

The organisation also offers short-term (including online) mentoring courses, one-to-one support, supervision, and has published Slovakia’s first book on school mentoring. Mentória organises training events, connects schools and teachers across the country, and has hosted two editions of the International Conference on Mentoring and Coaching in Education, with over 300 participants from six countries.

It has also supported projects targeting marginalised youth and trained 50 vocational school teachers in 21st-century skills.

The pilot programme launches the transformation of 14 secondary schools in eastern Slovakia into inclusive learning communities.

These schools face high dropout rates and a concentration of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The project aims to build a scalable and sustainable model of school and education development by expanding proven methodologies through a three-level approach:

  1. School leadership and teaching staff – School self-assessments will form the basis for setting up collaborative transformation processes. Principals will receive practical training in leadership, mentoring, and change management. Teachers will develop competences in activating learning, respectful communication, and gain foundational skills in mentoring and group facilitation. Coaching for principals, mentoring, and peer supervision among teachers will help establish a culture of collegial support and continuous professional development.

  2. Students and 21st-century skills – Students will take part in a two-month series of experiential workshops to develop key competences required by the labour market, enriched by specific interim challenges. Sixty teachers and support staff will be trained through an accredited six-month programme to act as mentors, providing personalised guidance to help students manage difficulties, stay motivated, and increase their chances of completing their education, finding employment, or accessing higher education.

  3. Sustainability and systemic impact – The project will introduce two AI-based digital agents to provide personalised, 24/7 support for teachers in developing and implementing innovative teaching practices. Two international conferences and a national roundtable with key education policy stakeholders will help disseminate knowledge, share best practices, and enable the transfer of the model to other regions across the country.

The pilot programme launches the transformation of 14 secondary schools in eastern Slovakia into inclusive learning communities.

These schools face high dropout rates and a concentration of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The project aims to build a scalable and sustainable model of school and education development by expanding proven methodologies through a three-level approach:

  1. School leadership and teaching staff – School self-assessments will form the basis for setting up collaborative transformation processes. Principals will receive practical training in leadership, mentoring, and change management. Teachers will develop competences in activating learning, respectful communication, and gain foundational skills in mentoring and group facilitation. Coaching for principals, mentoring, and peer supervision among teachers will help establish a culture of collegial support and continuous professional development.

  2. Students and 21st-century skills – Students will take part in a two-month series of experiential workshops to develop key competences required by the labour market, enriched by specific interim challenges. Sixty teachers and support staff will be trained through an accredited six-month programme to act as mentors, providing personalised guidance to help students manage difficulties, stay motivated, and increase their chances of completing their education, finding employment, or accessing higher education.

  3. Sustainability and systemic impact – The project will introduce two AI-based digital agents to provide personalised, 24/7 support for teachers in developing and implementing innovative teaching practices. Two international conferences and a national roundtable with key education policy stakeholders will help disseminate knowledge, share best practices, and enable the transfer of the model to other regions across the country.

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