FUNCTIONALITY

• Are mentors and mentees notified when their other half sends them a message via Chat?
• Will Chat appear on all mentee/mentor pages or just on the Current Lesson page (eg. Calendar, Lessons, etc.)?
• When you add content to Chat, will it stay there forever?
• How will mentors and mentees be able to find previous messages in Chat?
• What can mentors and mentees exchange through Chat?

IMPLEMENTATION

• Will Chat count as participation?
• Which is the priority for our pairs to complete? Lessons or Chat?
• Can we turn Chat off until mentees complete their Lessons?
• What if the mentor happens to be logged in and conversing with the student during class?
• How are we training staff members to coach mentors to write in Chat?
• How are we training mentees on what to write in Chat?
• What will it be like the first time a mentor or mentee uses Chat?
• Are there specific expectations for the frequency with which mentors and mentees use Chat? Should the staff member be encouraging use or following up with pairs that are not using it frequently?

SAFETY MONITORING AND REPORTING

• Where on the platform can staff members see Chat content and what it looks like?
• How will staff members use Chat in their pair support? Are staff members expected to monitor all Chat for safety and to inform pair support?
• How are attachments monitored?
• How will alerts work?

FUNCTIONALITY

Are mentors and mentees notified when their other half sends them a message via Chat?

When pairs are on the platform they will be able to quickly see if they have a new Chat message by looking at the notification icon in the menu bar. 

In addition, pairs will receive an email notification to their personal email address with the subject "You have a new Chat message from ____!" with the name of their match in the title. To limit the number of notification emails mentors and mentees receive, we will not send email notifications for 45 minutes after sending the first notification. This will allow mentees to send multiple messages during class and for pairs to have an active discussion without being overwhelmed with email notifications.

Will Chat appear on all mentee/mentor pages or just on the Current Lesson page (eg. Calendar, Lessons, etc.)?

Chat will appear on all the new pages of the platform that mentors and mentees use. They can use it on Lessons, College List, and any future pages that are built.

When you add content to Chat, will it stay there forever?

Yes. Chat will be a continuous scroll experience. As you scroll “up” through your conversation history, your past Chat will load. 

How will mentors and mentees be able to find previous messages in Chat?

There will be a search icon that will let you quickly find references in your messages within Chat. For example, searching for “museum” would pull up the messages where the pair discussed a museum.

What can mentors and mentees exchange through Chat?

In addition to written messages and emojis, mentors and mentees can also attach and share the following file types: Word, PDF, PowerPoint, jpegs, etc.

IMPLEMENTATION

Will Chat count as participation?

Yes. Conversation messages will all count as participation.

Which is the priority for our pairs to complete? Lessons or Chat?

The priority will continue to be completing what is on Lessons. Staff members should manage towards their pairs completing the weekly lesson as the main priority.

Can we turn Chat off until mentees complete their Lesson?

No. Completing the Lesson is the goal in class and the flow of class sessions should continue to be designed and implemented with that in mind. Chat is designed to be a flexible space for staff and pairs to use as needed. This can be a powerful communication tool for pairs inside and outside of class. There are several options in which Chat could potentially be a structured part of the weekly class experience. Example: Staff will encourage students to complete their weekly Lesson first and then use the remaining time to connect with their mentor in Chat. The age of the students and the amount of time for the class may influence the strategy for that staff member. We will provide a variety of use cases in future training materials.

What if the mentor happens to be logged in and conversing with the student during class?

If the student has completed their weekly Lesson, then conversing with the mentor can be encouraged. If the student has not completed their weekly Lesson, then the staff member should direct the student to finish their assignment before engaging in Chat. In NYC, staff members often help students focus their attention on the lesson instead of texting back and forth with their mentor. In addition, coaching can be provided to the mentor thanking them for their enthusiasm, explaining the goals of the class session, and, if appropriate, giving them a specific time within the class session where they can log in and converse in real time without compromising the objectives of the lesson.

How are we training staff members to coach mentors to write in Chat?

Staff members will be trained to let their mentors know that Chat is a flexible space for communicating with their mentee. 

How are we training mentees on what to write in Chat?

The Program Design team will be providing a mini-lesson for staff to teach in the classroom when Chat go live as well as a short “Welcome to Chat video” that will be appropriate for both mentors and mentees.

What will it be like the first time a mentor or mentee uses Chat?

The Platform team will debut Chat with one message already present for every user. When the mentor or mentee logs into the platform after the release, the message icon will appear with one new notification in the toolbar on all pages of the platform. Upon opening Chat, the mentors and mentees will see a message that will say, “Welcome to Chat. This is a new tool to exchange messages as a pair. Want to learn more? Click here.” 

Are there specific expectations for the frequency with which mentors and mentees use Chat? Should the staff member be encouraging use or following up with pairs that are not using it frequently?

We encourage pairs to use Chat to build a healthy relationship. Encouraging the mentors to use the tool on a weekly basis, without holding them to specific requirements, could be a great way to get mentors into this relationship-building habit. 

SAFETY MONITORING AND REPORTING

Where on the platform can staff members see Chat content and what it looks like?

Snapshot displays both Lessons and Chat participation over the last three lessons. In addition, Flipbook is a simple way to read all of the content that mentors and mentees write in Lessons and Chat.

How will staff members use Chat in their pair support? Are staff members expected to monitor all Chat for safety and to inform pair support?

Staff members should be monitoring all Chat messaging for safety and to inform pair support. The best tool for reviewing unread messages will be Flipbook. 

How are attachments monitored?

The staff person will be able to click to open the attachment when reviewing the conversation in Snapshot or Flipbook.

How will alerts work?

Keyword alerts continue to work as normal. Read up on Keyword alerts here.