W2W Mentoring Pilot Program - Fall 2012

What: Women's Mentoring and Leadership Development
Where: Vanderbilt, Scarritt Bennett Center, private locations
When/How Much: approximately 4 hours/month

Mentoring Pairs (8)
Mentoring pairs will comprise the basic one-to-one unit at the core of the Woman to Woman program. We suggest that pairs meet once monthly, in addition to scheduled group commitments, based on a schedule that suits the pair. Meetings can be scheduled as the pair determines is best for their personalities, interests and schedules. The mentoring pair can base their goals and objectives on the needs and competencies outlined by both mentor and mentee in the questionnaire and matching process. The process is designed to be flexible and pairs can change their learning trajectory as needed. In addition, we anticipate mentors learning from mentees as much as mentees learn from mentors. Work of the mentoring pair will be supplemented by:

Kickoff (January)
The Kickoff Event will be held to introduce the staff and the Woman to Woman program, as well as welcome participants, explain the process, and reveal the matches. An additional component of the Kickoff Event will feature a philanthropic moment in which women are invited to bring an item to donate to a selected local charity.

Small Group Dinners (February & April)
Research indicates that women benefit from having multiple unofficial mentors and past experience shows that small group dinners provide a meeting space for this. Small group dinners are designed to alleviate any pressure for a mentor to feel as though she needs to "have all the answers" for her particular mentee.

Small Group Dinners will take place twice during the course of the pilot program, in February and April, will include a total of 4 mentor-mentee pairs, and will be potluck in format. The W2W Contact will schedule the groups for the Small Group Dinners and help facilitate hosts, venues, food, and conversation topics.

Speaker Event (March)
In the middle of each program year, Woman to Woman will host a Speaker Event featuring a prominent speaker who will address a topic related to women's leadership. This program will be free to participants and open to the public. We encourage Mentoring Pairs to come together and use the event as a catalyst for conversation and growth in their work together.

Closing Event (May)
The Closing Evening is a chance for all mentors and mentees to gather together as a large group and reflect on the experience and successes of the program year.