Conference Mentoring
NCPH’s conference mentoring program pairs new conference attendees with experienced NCPH conference-goers. We are looking for both mentors and mentees for the 2016 conference in Baltimore, Maryland, March 16-19. If you are interested in participating, please send an email to [email protected] (subject: Mentoring Baltimore).
Requests are due by February 17, 2016. Please note that our ability to place mentors and mentees is limited; some applicants may be put on a waiting list. Please send questions to Nick Johnson at [email protected] or call (317) 274-2168.
Mentor/Mentee Expectations:
- Mentors and mentees contact each other by email prior to the conference and tell each other a little about themselves. Either the mentor or the mentee can initiate the email exchange.
- Agree on a place and time to meet in person early in the conference. We suggest that mentors and mentees arrange to meet in the registration area for the First Time Attendee and Mentor/Mentee Pre-Reception (5:30 pm – 6:30 pm) on Wednesday, March 16. We also suggest arranging a second meeting place and time during the conference. For example, making specific plans to meet over coffee, lunch, or the break between sessions is a good idea. Sometimes it is difficult to find people in the rush and flux of the conference.
- Mentors will share reflections on their experiences at the NCPH annual meeting and try to introduce mentees to other public history practitioners. The point is to develop ideas and strategies for absorbing the full benefits of attending a conference. Mentors might give the following advice:
- What sessions on the program look particularly good this year, and which ones may be relevant to my professional interests?
- Who should I try to meet before the end of the conference?
- Is there a strategy to visiting the exhibit hall, making the rounds in a reception or the Poster Session, or picking tours or workshops that complement sessions?
- How do you use the annual conference (or any conference in general) as a source of professional development, new projects, or new ideas?
- The Mentoring program is not the same as the Speed Networking session that will be held on Thursday, March 17 from 10:00 am – 12:00 pm. The mentoring program is aimed to help mentees maximize the positive benefits of their conference experience. Speed Networking emphasizes discussion of career options, professional development, and resume building.
- It is appropriate for mentees to prepare a few questions in advance for their mentor about areas of interest and networking.
- Some mentors and mentees stay in contact after the conference, but this is not an expectation. Each year, the mentoring program is focused on the annual meeting with which it is associated.