Empowering Leadership Alliance

The EL Alliance is supported through the National Science Foundation's Directorate for Computer and Information Science (CISE) and Engineering's Broadening Participation in Computing (BPC) program.

The EL Alliance Mentoring Program

About EL Alliance Mentoring
Mentor Groups
Expectations
Registration
Contact
Resources

About EL Alliance Mentoring
The Empowering Leadership Alliance connects undergraduate and graduate students from research universities across the country with experienced computing professionals in mentoring relationships cultivated through email. We match protégés and mentors based on the protégés’ preferences on the experience and qualities of a mentor.

Mentors share knowledge and lend encouragement to their protégés, connect them with leaders in their fields, and help guide them to opportunities for personal and professional growth, such as scholarships, internships, and conference opportunities.

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Mentor Groups
Students and mentors choose from several models of mentoring:

One-to-one mentoring (1 mentor to 1 protégé)
Group mentoring (1 mentor to 3-5 protégés)
One-to-one peer mentoring (older students mentoring younger)

In the one-to-one mentoring group, communication occurs between one mentor and one protégé. In group mentoring, communication occurs among members of a cohort group—one mentor communicating with three to five students, and students within the same group communicating with their mentor and each other. In the one-to-one peer mentoring, typically, one graduate student mentors one undergraduate.

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Expectations
The mentoring relationship is intended to last six months with the option of extending the relationship for additional periods, given that both protégés and mentors agree. In order to build a strong relationship, weekly communication is expected. Program leaders will communicate with the mentor regularly with suggestions for discussion topics.

Both protégés and mentors register online; then EL Alliance leaders match protégés and mentors and contact both to initiate the relationship. Throughout the mentoring, both mentors and protégés will be contacted periodically by EL Alliance leaders in order to see how well the relationship is going and make adjustments where needed. Throughout the mentoring relationship, EL Alliance leaders will make suggestions about discussion topics and provide resources and support for both protégés and mentors.

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Registration: We Need You for the EL Alliance Mentoring Program

If you are a student who would like to request a mentor, register here.

If you would like to serve as a mentor, register here.

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Contact:

If you have questions or comments, please email info@empoweringleadership.org

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Mentoring Resources

Advice for New Mentors
http://empoweringleadership.org/Resources/new_mentors.html

Computing Research Association Committee on the Status of Women in Computing Research Career Mentoring Workshops
Career.Mentoring.pdf

Council for Undergraduate Research: Elements of Mentoring, Expectations, and Practical Information
http://www.cur.org/USRP/b_toc.html

National Academy of Science: Advisor, Teacher, Role Model, Friend
http://www.nap.edu/readingroom/books/mentor/