NACIS Mentor Program
NACIS is committed to providing professionals with resources in navigating the early years of cartography and beyond. This commitment is a step in fulfilling two of our objectives:
- To improve communication, coordination and cooperation among the producers, disseminators, curators, and users of cartographic information
- To broaden opportunities and inclusivity for underrepresented and historically marginalized groups within the society
This mentor program was created to match each mentee with a mentor from among the numerous experienced NACIS members whose knowledge and insight will serve as a resource to the mentee. This program is designed to foster professional development and career growth and provides an opportunity for two colleagues to establish a trusting mentor/mentee partnership. The length of the program is 6 months (March – August).
Mentorship program goals
- To coordinate a program for members to gain new perspective, foster new relationships, and grow professionally
- To encourage engagement across the career divide between senior professionals and early-career professionals
- To provide resources, promote professionalism, encourage interpersonal skills, and build confidence in early-career professionals, including and especially those of underserved populations
- To increase awareness of NACIS programs and activities
Program roles
Mentors: Mentors will share their professional and organizational knowledge and experience, while serving as a sounding board and guide for career-focused conversations. (NACIS members who have 5+ years GIS / cartography / geography experience.)
Mentees: Mentees will share their professional skills, career and networking goals, and individual development plans to direct the conversations and learning. (NACIS members who are early-career professionals with less than 5 years of experience or college students with some GIS / cartography / geography coursework.)
Benefits
Mentors:
- Giving back and nurturing the growth of the NACIS community and its newest members
- Exposure to new ideas and interests
- Personal satisfaction in sharing your career experience, knowledge, or skills
- Opportunity to reflect on your own practices
- Re-energizing your career
- Learning about new tools or trends
- Improving your coaching and management skills
- Increasing your visibility in the field
Mentees:
- Advice and experience with career planning
- Access to a sounding board and guide for career-focused conversations with your best interest in mind
- Learning tips and tricks from an experienced professional
- Exposure to new ideas, interests, and potential career pathways
- Personal satisfaction in sharing your experience, knowledge, or skills
- Opportunity to reflect on your own practices and accelerate your career
- Enhanced self confidence from positive feedback
- Increasing your visibility in the field
- Greater understanding of the NACIS organization as a whole
Expectations
- Commit to the full 6-month program. This includes recurring communication and interaction with mentee/mentor and completion of two surveys (pre-program application for pairing and post-program for program assessment and improvement).
- Schedule regular meetings with your mentor/mentee (in person or virtually using a service like Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, or Slack Huddle). We strongly encourage 6 meetings, once a month for 30 minutes, however you are more than welcome to meet as your personal/professional schedules permit (more or less). Remember, the more you put into the program the more you will get out of the program.
- Share skills and knowledge from your professional experience.
- Inspire by providing and accepting positive feedback.
- Maintain confidentiality.
Important dates
Deadline for application:
Feb 15, 2023
Email announcement of mentorship pairings:
Mar 5, 2023
Post-program survey sent:
Aug 27, 2023
Deadline for post-program survey completion:
Sep 15, 2023
Questions? Contact [email protected]