[Ailist] Re: AI and Mentoring programs

[Michael Holdstock]

Muriel
I forgot to mention two items:
- we intentionally did not put the mentors through a training programme, 
preferring to give them some guidelines, ask them as a group if they had 
experienced anything like good mentoring and sharing the answers to that 
question, and providing them and mentee with the "startup questions" to ge 
the ball rolling, if needed (most didn't). The idea was that their 
experiences would be turned into a "body of praxis" - which is ongoing. We 
wanted to respect and allow relationships to develop that were very 
individual to the mentor/mentee pair. It seems to have worked, althout now, 
three years in, our mentors are asking for "training", which when we dig a 
bit further is about "tools to be mopre helpful/deepen my ability as a 
mentor".

- there was some necessary culling of the volunteer mentors. This and the 
matching process was carried out by a senior Elder of the engineering 
"brotherhood" and as far as I can gather there were one or two volunteers 
for whom suitable mentees just couldn't be found. Handled very 
diplomatically.

Mike

>> I am working with a university in developing mentoring programs for 
>> graduate
>> students in two professional schools.  Students will be matched  with an
>> experienced professional in the community. I am gathering best practices 
>> for
>> effective programs in preparation for mentor/mentee orientations. If any 
>> of  you
>> have had experience in developing a similar program, I would be 
>> interested in
>> hearing about it.
>>
>> Many thanks,
>>
>> Muriel Finegold

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