3X3 Leaders dare to look at themselves during kick-off of 3X3 Mentor Course
At 3X3 Unites, the kick-off of the 3X3 Mentor Course took place during the first weekend of September: a program for 3X3 Leaders who want to grow into 3X3 Mentors and role models within their own communities. One of the participants was 3X3 Leader Nordin Martina. “In my neighborhood, I’m already a kind of mentor for many young people, so I want to get better at it.”
The 3X3 Mentor Course is one of the programs offered within the renewed 3X3 Unites Academy. It consists of a two-day kick-off followed by an eight-week course starting in October. Each week focuses on a different theme and skill, such as listening, asking questions, identifying signals, creating safe spaces, building trust, and fostering autonomy.
“We see that many young people naturally take on a mentor role within their communities, but that some skills are still missing,” says trainer and Program Lead of the 3X3 Mentor Course, Roxanna van Erp. “Through this training we want to give 3X3 Leaders the tools they need to embody the role of mentor even more effectively.”
According to Roxanna, 3X3 Mentors are the ears and eyes of the community. They listen when young people need to share what’s on their mind, they start conversations when there’s a need, and they refer them to professional help if necessary. Roxanna: “Our 3X3 Mentors are not social workers, nor do we expect them to be.”
3X3 Unites strongly believes that leadership starts with yourself: you can only help someone else once you’ve looked at yourself first. That’s why the central question during the two-day kick-off was: Who am I? “We asked the 3X3 Leaders to reflect on themselves,” says trainer Rabiya Ulkü. “What is my story, who do I want to be, and what tools do I need to get there?”
Nordin was one of the five 3X3 Leaders participating in the kick-off. According to him, they dove straight into the deep end during the introductions. “We did an exercise where you had to say who your role model is and share a low point and a high point in your life,” he says. “That made everyone open up and show vulnerability from the start.”
Because of this, Nordin says he was “switched on immediately.” He told his story without anyone reacting or giving an opinion. “That was my first takeaway: you don’t always have to respond when someone shares something personal. Sometimes people just need you to listen,” he explains. “It was very powerful to experience that myself.”
After the introductions, the 3X3 Leaders were asked to write down a word they personally struggle with. They then had to burn the piece of paper, symbolically leaving it behind. Nordin wrote the word control. “I like helping others, but I tend to do it in a controlling way by saying: ‘Do this or do that.’ That’s something I want to let go of.”
He gives an example from his own life. “I sometimes tell my younger brother to clean his room while my own room is a mess. From now on, I want to start with myself. If I keep my own room tidy, I set the right example. When my brother sees that, I become a role model for him without forcing it.”
The 3X3 Leaders then worked on defining their core values, created a mood board around those values, and took part in a storytelling workshop led by Birgit Soethof, where they learned how to effectively present their own story. Rabiya: “We basically gave them building blocks to communicate their message clearly.”
At the end of the two-day kick-off, each 3X3 Leader gave a presentation about themselves. “It was very interesting and educational because the kick-off was a real journey of self-discovery,” says Nordin. “I found answers to questions like: who am I now, where do I want to go, which values matter to me, and how can those values help others?”
Both Roxanna and Rabiya call the kick-off weekend of the 3X3 Mentor Course a big success. “It was beautiful to see how everyone dared to be vulnerable in order to get to know themselves better,” says Rabiya. Roxanna adds: “These young people genuinely want to be role models in their communities and therefore dared to reflect on themselves.”
The eight-week 3X3 Mentor Course will start in October. After the inspiring kick-off, Nordin is eager to continue. “In my neighborhood, I’m already a kind of mentor for many young people, so I want to get better at it.”