Women's Mentoring Program

About the Women's Mentoring Program

The 2013-2014 school year marks the ninth year of the Women's Mentoring Program. The Program connects undergraduate women one-on-one with a mentor (a more experienced undergraduate student or graduate student, or a staff or faculty member) who strives to provide them with personal, academic, and professional support, guidance and encouragement. In addition to the one-on-one relationship, all participants will be strongly encouraged to participate in Women's Center activities, and to attend informal group luncheons and events. There are a number of successful Women's Mentoring Programs throughout the world, and mentoring has been proven to be an invaluable tool for career success.

Mentors: Female staff, faculty, or more experienced students (graduate students, undergraduate juniors or seniors).
Mentees: All undergraduate-level women are eligible to participate, but the program focuses specifically on first-year students.

Mission

The Women’s Mentoring Program seeks to strengthen the experiences of first-year/transfer women and upper-division students at the University of Idaho through a non-hierarchical mentoring model based on networking, community involvement and service.

Goals

• To successfully pair first-year/transfer women students with upper division students, faculty, staff or community members.
• Foster an environment that allows for acceptance and understanding of identities, and specific issues pertaining to women students.
• Provide a networking model for participants to learn more about themselves, each other, and the University of Idaho/Moscow community.
• Provide an opportunity for participants to serve their University of Idaho and Latah County communities.

Learning Outcomes

• Learn and integrate – Students will be able to recognize the importance of academics, provide feedback, and expand knowledge past the classroom experience through the support of mentors in similar or complimentary degree fields.

• Think and create - Students will be able to assist each other with reflection and decision making skills to develop relationships that will lead toward the achievement of goals.

• Communicate – Students will be able to learn about dynamics of good communication and be encouraged to strengthen communication skills that extend past the mentoring relationship.

• Clarify purpose and perspective - Students will be able to be matched based on a variety of interests and identities, and use multiple networks of support.

• Practice citizenship - Students will be able to participate on several projects that serve the Moscow/University of Idaho community and strengthen bonds between the participants.