NoLimits TeleMentoring: "People Helping People Achieve Career Goals”

The NoLimits telementoring program is designed to help young people (ages 18– 25) with epilepsy who are preparing to enter the workforce, or starting a career gain support and assistance from adults who are succeeding in their chosen professions or fields of interest.

The goals of the NoLimits TeleMentoring Program are to:

• Reach an underserved age group;
• Provide appropriate information about employment and educational issues;
• Assist young people (aged 18-25) to move forward through motivation, encouragement, self-esteem and support by providing them with the tools needed to help accomplish their own employment success.;
• Increases mentor awareness about Epilepsy for mentor;
• Facilitate connections that will help young adults move forward in their career aspirations..

What is a Mentor?

The word mentor is traced back to Greek mythology when Odysseus had to go to war and asked Mentor to guide and look out for his son Telemachus in his absence. Although the word has Greek origins, most cultures have had the equivalent of what we now refer to as mentors. Recently, the America's Promise initiative identifies five promises that all youth in our society should be entitled to, and one of those five is a caring mentor. Webster's dictionary defines mentor as a wise, loyal adviser, a teacher or coach. Other words used to describe mentors are guide, advocate, and sharer of resources.

Definition of TeleMentoring

Mentoring is an age-old concept and email and Internet chat technology are modern communication tools. When combined, they can create a new way to connect caring adults with young people. In traditional mentoring, an adult role model develops a one-to-one relationship with a youth to provide support, encouragement, and guidance. Telementoring is a modification of this model using email and Internet technologies to connect adult employees with young people through the Internet.

The Epilepsy Foundation, in specific, designed NoLimits to bring adults together with young people with epilepsy in their lives who are looking for a role model to help them make the transition into gainful employment.

The NoLimits Telementoring Program is sponsored by Eisai, Inc.