1. Mentorship in SCA We encourage you to explore the mentor/mentee relationship between you and your intern. SCA members are looking for someone to engage them in a challenging learning experience, provide them with critical feedback, and connect them with people who will build their career support network.

2. Benefits of Being a Mentor: Increase the likelihood of a successful SCA program experience. Support participants in experiencing and connecting with conservation careers. Support participants in identifying personal and/or career goals. Provide professional development though experience exchanges and guidance. Gain fresh perspective and knowledge from participants. Feed off participant’s optimistic enthusiasm!

3. Mentorship Requirements Time ◦ Make time to get to know your intern. Understand what he/she wants out of this experience. ◦ Set aside time every week for an in-person check in Communication ◦ Provide a site orientation and set your intentions. Be honest and thorough about your expectations of your member. We suggest you review the position description together early on. ◦ Discuss and make agreements to set and review professional and personal goals with your member ◦ Give constructive feedback to your member throughout his or her term of service Professional Development and Networking ◦ Engage in networking by referring members to your colleagues and peers ◦ Provide shadowing opportunities for the intern to experience other types of jobs ◦ Discover whether your member has professional interests outside of the scope of your position description, and explore opportunities for them. Establish a Positive Developmental Relationship!

4. Developmental Relationships Developmental relationships are powerful connections through which young people learn to strive to be their very best in work, and life. Express CARE – Developmental relationships are grounded in a strong bond of mutual affection. ◦ Be warm – Show me that you are sincere, kind, and good-natured. ◦ Be present – Pay attention and make an effort to know me and understand my perspective. ◦ Enjoy – Make it clear that you like being with me. ◦ Invest – Invest time, energy, and concern in me because you care about me. ◦ Be dependable – Be consistent, reliable, and trustworthy. Give SUPPORT – Developmental relationships offer tangible and emotional supports for growth. ◦ Encourage – Offer appropriate support and foster my confidence. ◦ Respect – Take me seriously, treat me fairly, and recognize my competence. ◦ Model – Be an example I can admire of values, attitudes, and behaviors that are worth following. ◦ Guide – Provide practical help and offer constructive feedback. ◦ Advocate – Stand up for me, when needed.

5. Developmental Relationships CHALLENGE Growth – Developmental relationships push us to learn, grow, and be our best. ◦ Inspire – Help me see who I can become and what I can achieve. ◦ Stretch – Push me to articulate, defend, and expand my capabilities, ideas, and choices. ◦ Expect – Believe in my potential, and express your hopes for who I can be. ◦ Limit – Set and hold me accountable to consistent, appropriate boundaries and rules. Share OWNERSHIP – Each person values the relationship and has a meaningful role in shaping it. ◦ Respond – Adjust to each other’s needs, priorities, abilities, and circumstances. ◦ Negotiate – Each person has a voice in how decisions are made and conflicts are resolved. ◦ Collaborate – Work together to learn, solve problems, and identify possibilities. Expand POSSIBILTIES – Developmental relationships expand our horizons, experiences, and connections. ◦ Explore – Expose me to new ideas, experiences, and places. ◦ Connect – Introduce me to people who can help me grow and achieve my goals. ◦ Navigate – Help me learn how to work through barriers that get in the way of achieving my goals.

6. The SPARK! When it is expressed, we feel alive. We feel useful. Life has a purpose. We feel we are drawing on our best potential. Three Types of Sparks: Something they are good at – a talent or skill Something they care deeply about – such as the environment or serving their community A quality they know is special – caring for others or being a friend

7. Identify the Spark Help your intern identify his/her spark by asking the following questions: ◦ What is your spark? ◦ When and where do you live your spark? ◦ Who knows your spark? ◦ Who helps feed your spark? ◦ What gets in your way? ◦ How will you use your spark to make our world better? ◦ How can I help?

8. In a Nutshell… “The staff member I worked with is an amazing, intelligent, knowledgeable women, and I am proud to have worked with her. The atmosphere along with the personalities at the center made my internship very enjoyable. I learned a great deal of information…Not only of the local wildlife and geology, but also of people, environmental education, and how to make programs fun/exciting. Educating the public has always been something I've enjoyed, but to pull off a successful program for an audience that genuinely cares about the topic and wants to do something to help our Earth…the feeling is amazing.” - 2014 SCA HV Corps member