Mentoring program update
Mentoring program goals
The mentoring program goal is to help connect professionals working within the water environment field and to help facilitate building these relationships to promote personal and professional development. The program matches mentors and proteges based on shared interests and professional goals and provides a mentoring guide to help direct the process. In addition to pairing mentors and proteges, the program will work to host virtual networking events where participants can connect with others in the program and to learn more about the water field.
Mentoring program structure
Sign up to participate in the program
- Both mentors and proteges need to complete the mentoring program survey to be paired up
- Please complete the survey by Friday, August 28th, 2020
- You can apply at any time, but may not get paired up during the current mentorship cycle if you sign up. If you are late to sign up, please also reach out to Hayden Delay.
- Participants in the program are encouraged to also sign-up as members in NWEA and Nebraska Section AWWA.
Mentors and proteges are paired up
- Once surveys are received, mentors and proteges will be paired up.
- Mentors and proteges will be paired up with the plan to have the program start in September.
Attend virtual webinars and virtual networking events (optional)
Water and wastewater professionals will give webinar presentations on various industry topics. Stay tuned for more info after you've signed up!
If there is enough interest:
- Virtual vendor equipment demonstrations or lunch-and-learns may be planned for learning opportunities.
- Mentor/mentee virtual networking events organized to allow students a chance to meet with a wide variety of professionals from the industry.
Engage in the mentoring process
Commit a minimum of 4 to 6 hours over the course of a year for meeting with your mentor or protege to interact and learn from each other.
- These can be 1-hour meeting every other month over the course of the year
- These can be meeting over the phone, or via some other communication platform. Due to the current pandemic, we are discouraging in-person meetings.
- A mentoring guide is provided to help facilitate the meetings
Attend local virtual conferences (optional)
- Attend local conferences in Nebraska to engage with others
- Attend workshops to learn more about work done in the field
- Present research or work done in the water field
| Joint Fall Conference | November 2020 |
| Snowball Conference | TBD |
| Great Plains Conference | TBD |
| Heartland Conference | TBD |
Mentoring guide
A mentoring guide has been prepared to help guide mentors and proteges in their discussions. This is a recommended framework for discussion, but it is up to the mentor and protege to decide on the exact content of their meetings.
Program contact
Matthew Thompson
UNL
402-657-8711
