Wow, what an amazing year we're having! So many of this year's successes at Girls Write Now are due in large part to your talent and dedication as mentors, and we are profoundly grateful for your work. And the year's not over yet! We've got portfolios to complete, the reading in June, and then....what's next?
Over the next few months, we will be inviting all mentors to have an in-person meeting with one of our program leaders in order to provide mutual closure to your mentoring experience and to discuss your role with us next year.
Read on for more details about next steps.
Concluding Your Mentoring Relationship
Whether you and your mentee are planning to take a summer vacation or a permanent break (you got a new job across the country, your mentee graduated, etc.), your relationship will be formally changing, and you will want to be in clear communication about this. Please start by reviewing page 31 of your mentor handbook and then get in touch with meghan@girlswritenow.org or moira@girlswritenow.org for further guidance or with any questions or concerns.
Excited to Mentor Next Year!
We would be honored to have you back! And your mentee! We ask all mentors and mentees (regardless of how long they have been with the program) to complete a simple reapplication form that gives both you and our program leaders the opportunity to reflect on your experiences this season and to approach next year's commitment with clarity. Completing this year's basic requirements is key. As new applications are already rolling in, we ask that you please submit your returning application (download below) to enrollment@girlswritenow.org no later than June 15. Returning mentee applications are also due June 15 and can be downloaded here.
Thinking about Taking a Break from Mentoring
As we recognize your amazing work, so too must we acknowledge how demanding and time-consuming mentoring is! If you find yourself worried or unable to make the commitment to be a mentor again, we completely understand, and we want to emphasize how valuable you would be to our organization as an alum or leader. If you would like to take a one-year sabbatical from mentoring, you may reapply for the 2010-2011 season using a returning mentor application, and your experience in the program will certainly be taken into account.
Interested in a Leadership Position
Experienced mentors are traditionally the most effective in sensitively shaping the program for new pairs, and they tend to find this experience both rewarding and a refreshing change of pace. Whether or not you are returning to mentoring, if you are interested in a role on the program advisory committee, please come talk to one of us to learn more, and email maya@girlswritenow.org, specifying your area of interest (enrollment, curriculum, talent/support, communications, or development). If you think you would be better suited for a position on the board of directors or advisory board, please email our board chair at lauren@girlswritenow.org.
Wanting to Mentor This Summer
If you wish to meet informally with your current mentee over the summer, we will gladly provide general support. Just email meghan@girlswritenow.org to let you know your needs.
We would also like to invite you to be a part of our summer pilot program, Girls Write New York City! GWNYC Mentors will support the program's teachers and work one-to-one or one-to-two with students, providing first-hand feedback on their works-in-progress. The workshops will run 12-4 PM (including lunch) on July 11, 18 & 25 and August 1. Please sign-up to be a mentor for a day (or more!) at summer@girlswritenow.org by June 1.
Here's the summer program description: "New York City is a place apart, alive with characters and stories, metaphors and its own special rhythms. In these workshops, we'll explore New York on the page, taking inspiration from both established writers and original work from your peers. Taught by an accomplished and dynamic team of women writers (including memoirist Janice Erlbaum, playwright and actress Nilaja Sun, poet Victoria Redel, and journalist Vasugi "Suji" Ganeshananthan), and supported by a team of veteran mentors and writing professionals, these four Saturday afternoon intensive workshops will explore the landmark sites and hidden corners of all five boroughs from Brooklyn to the Bronx. On this journey, students will write and read in four genres—memoir, fiction, poetry and playwriting, receive close and sustained feedback in an intimate setting that encourages discovery and development of voice, and finish with a portfolio of creative work in multiple genres."
This program is open to our current mentees, but there is a cost. Find out more.
