TIP Spotlight: Mercer University

From the Field

By Team Torace published on Jul 8, 2024

min read

What is TIP?

Torace is a mentor matching platform that was originally developed to help match mentor teachers with student teachers, but we soon realized that Torace could support field experiences, new teacher mentoring, leadership development, etc. This got us wondering what other types of matching might be going on that we could support in education.

The Torace Innovators Pilot (TIP) Program was created in the spirit of continuing to innovate and expand the ways that “matching” can be used in education and education-adjacent fields. TIP partners were carefully selected for their unique and innovative programs that had a matching component. Each TIP partner was provided a customized version of Torace to meet their matching needs and we are excited to highlight the work of our TIP partnerships through the TIP Spotlight blog series.

There is more to come! In-depth case studies with key learnings and resources will follow and can be found on our TIP Resource page. To keep updated follow us on social media!

TIP Partner: Mercer University

Mercer University’s GENERATE (Georgia Educators Networking to Revolutionize and Transform Education) Grant Program is a teacher residency program that provides a path for career changers to obtain a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) or B.S.Ed. in Early Learning and Development degree, become certified teachers in Georgia, and teach in high-need content areas within partner school districts. The program provides individuals with a combination of professional development, mentoring, professional learning communities, and computer science and cybersecurity training.

GENERATE also provides induction support to prepare and retain teachers who are ready to address the needs of all children in partner school districts and prepare these future educators with the knowledge and skills they need to provide an education that creates healthy development of students.

Torace Matching

One particularly innovative piece of the GENERATE program is the mentor matching component. Mercer is leveraging inter-departmental partnerships to supply mentors for the GENERATE program participants. Candidates from the Educational Leadership program are trained and selected to match with students in the GENERATE program. What better way to train future school leaders than by giving them a mentee who is a new teacher? What seems like a simple solution is actually an innovative evolution in educator preparation and retention. Often university departments are very siloed and singularly focused on their own work and research, but by tapping into the supply and demand of two departments, Educational Leadership and Educator Preparation, Mercer is able to provide rich learning experiences for all of its students.

Torace supported two rounds of matching for the GENERATE program in which aspiring leaders were matched with new or novice teachers. Both mentors and mentees completed Torace Event Profiles and submitted Preferences (top 5 picks after reviewing profiles) to provide the most information to make the best matches.

A fun part of the GENERATE program is the grand reveal match event and dinner where matches get to meet each other in person and get to know each other. We have shared photos from both events below.

The Results

Torace was able to support two rounds of matching that resulted in 137 mentors matched with 165 mentees. The following are data and feedback collected from participants.

Mercer GENERATE mentors and mentees were invited to speak on a panel at Georgia’s Partnership for Innovations in Education Summer Symposium to share their experience with being matched with Torace and the mentorship program.