The application window for the 2024 cohort is now closed.
Applicants will be notified of their status by December 22, 2023.
The Exchange is a mentoring program designed to create opportunities for two-way learning between a mentor and mentee.
Program Overview
More experienced professionals (mentors) are a resource to facilitate their partner’s learning and growth. They offer their partners valuable insight and advice from both an industry and a professional development perspective.
At the same time, early professionals (mentees) often provide their partner with insight into current trends, and an understanding of the attitudes and values of future industry leaders.
Qualifications to Participate
Be a current AWWEE member and maintain active AWWEE membership for the duration of the program. Not a member? Join here.
Have a desire to learn and share your knowledge with a partner.
Have ambition to succeed.
Be committed to establishing and working toward goals with a partner.
Be willing to commit time and energy to the partnership.
Expectations of Participants
Mentors
Understand their partner’s desired outcomes and prepare for meetings accordingly.
Help their partner establish goals.
Challenge their partner to think and analyze options.
Act as a resource by sharing their experiences, knowledge, and wisdom with their partner.
Offer advice to guide their partner in reaching their professional and personal goals.
Provide constructive and meaningful feedback.
Mentees
Make the initial contact with their partner and schedule all meetings.
Identify overall outcomes they hope to attain with the support of her partner.
Prepare and provide an agenda to their mentor in advance of each meeting.
Follow through on commitments and goals set during meetings.
Be receptive to feedback and coaching from their partner.
Take advantage of the opportunities and advice presented by their partner.
Other Details
Past mentee participants are invited to apply as a mentee again, but preference will be given to new mentee applicants.
While program organizers check-in periodically with participants, participants are ultimately responsible for the success of their partnership.
If a participant feels, at any time and for any reason, that the partnership should end, program organizers will support this decision and work with participants on appropriate next steps.
To support continuous program improvement, participants will be asked to provide feedback periodically during the program.
This is not a job placement program. There should be no expectation of a job offer or recommendation.
To create an environment where both partners are comfortable sharing, conversations between partners should be kept confidential.
Application Process
Be an active AWWEE member. Join AWWEE.
Apply online by 5 p.m. PST on December 1, 2023.
Program organizers will review every application and match as many applicants as possible based on areas of interest and expertise, desired outcomes, and location.
All applicants, including those we are unable to match, will be notified by 5 p.m. PST on December 22, 2023.
Resources
2024 Cohort Dates
November 1 – December 1, 2023
Applications accepted
No later than December 22, 2023
Notifications to participants with partner information
January 1, 2024
Program start date
December 31, 2024
Program end date