For my last session at SAA I went to this morning’s session about two different mentoring program models. One from the Society of Georgia Archivists focused on a formal match program that began in 2009, and moved into its second phase in 2011. Luciana Spracher and Lynette Staudt. Shared their experiences organizing this program. Their lessons learned included:
Moving toward an on demand model to encourage the development of mentoring relationships throughout the year, rather than at set start dates.
The use of website bios so potential mentees can look for mentors with similar goals or experiences.
More formal training at annual SGA meetings, and quarterly check-ins to ensure that both mentors and mentees are prepared to enter into this relationships.
Caitlin Birch, Camille Torres-Hoven and Michelle Chiles shared how through a new roundtable in NEA, they began a pilot mentoring program. Their program used a group mentoring model with two groups meeting in person in the greater Boston area, and one meeting virtually. All groups had at least one mentor, some had two, a roundtable liaison and four or five mentees. Their program has been moved out of the roundtable and a task force has been formed by NEA to explore the future viability and expansion of this program.
How do you form and sustain mentoring relationship???