Mentoring California Convention 13 April 2014 Katy Dickinson Member, San Jose and CA Online Principal, Katy Dickinson Consulting katydickinson.com

Meeting People Where They Are Silicon Valley TechWomen mentors presented STEM workshops at the Gashora Girls Academy of Science and Technology, in Rwanda, February 2014 More: AAUW - CA - 13 April 20142katydickinson.com

TechWomen – STEM Mentoring An Initiative of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs October-November 2013: 78 women in STEM 16 countries in Africa and the Middle East Mentors: 150 Silicon Valley companies. February-March 2014: Mentors visited emerging leaders in Rwanda & Morocco. AAUW - CA - 13 April 20143katydickinson.com Sponsored by Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton 2011

What is Mentoring? What is mentoring? Mentoring is a longer-term relationship focused on professional or life issues. The mentor is much more experienced than the mentee but may or may not be an expert in the same professional area. The important power difference between them is one of wisdom rather than position. Mentoring is at the top of most lists of effective tools for promoting women’s professional development and advancement. Why be a mentor? Mentors are typically professional volunteers who get satisfaction from “paying it forward” – that is, providing others with guidance such as that which benefited them during their own development. What do mentors do? Mentors advise and inspire. In practical terms: they make introductions, give recommendations to people and resources, and give feedback for the Mentee to consider. AAUW - CA - 13 April 2014katydickinson.com4

Mentoring Results Improved satisfaction, higher morale, greater motivation Higher retention, improved community bonding and loyalty Particular value to women and minorities – works to improve organizational variety in 3 areas: demographic, geographic, & professional Broadening the diversity of innovation and ideas available to the organization Improved communication between target groups Improved participant performance and value-to-organization Personal learning Professional development AAUW - CA - 13 April 2014katydickinson.com5

Mentor Tributes Maysoun Ibrahim (from Palestine): My mentor was highly professional, supportive and a good listener. She was always willing to put the efforts needed to provide advice to her mentees to better shape their personalities and affect their professional career. She showed me through the TechWomen program that mentoring is an ongoing relationship of exchange of experiences aiming at strengthening our knowledge and achieving our dreams. Sukaina Al-Nasrawi (an Iraqui from Lebanon): Since the first TechWomen day, my mentor has been my continuous reminder of the importance of persistence, optimism, strong will to face life challenges and make a change. She strengthened my skills and introduced me to the concept of the elevator pitch, which is crucial for professional growth. She is a perfect example of a mentor. I truly appreciate her friendship, values and everything I learned from her. I am passionately looking forward to the day I can do the same for someone else. AAUW - CA - 13 April 2014katydickinson.com6 Dareen Alhiyari (from Jordan): I just want to share with you my gratitude for the TechWomen program for bringing together women in technology. The beautiful thing about TechWomen is that it never ends! It's an everlasting membership of a professional network of special women. Now I get to know those women in technology in my area and collaborate with them, and I will get to know even more with every year!

12 Mentoring Best Practices AAUW - CA - 13 April 2014katydickinson.com7 Program benefits and goals are clear. There is strong management support. Mentors and Mentees are selected (not everyone is taken). Data is analyzed and reported in detail. Mentors and Mentees meet 3 or more times each month. Mentors and Mentees are matched for 6 or more months. Mentor and Mentee work together one-on-one. Mentor training and orientation is given. The mentoring program continues and improves for years. The Mentor and Mentee sometimes meet at a distance. Program staff is paid (not volunteer). Ongoing program support is provided by staff.

AAUW Mentoring AAUW - CA - 13 April 2014katydickinson.com8

AAUW and Mentoring - History A review of the AAUW National and California websites shows: AAUW has provided seed funding for several successful mentoring programs in schools and universities – many as the result of Campus Action Projects. Mentoring is referred to as an effective methodology associated with three existing AAUW training/support programs, especially in California: Speech Trek, Tech Trek, and Start Smart. AAUW often uses “mentoring” to mean “coaching” or teaching programs for specific knowledge transfer for non-members. Mentoring should also be used for: – Leadership building among AAUW members. – AAUW Member integration and long-term retention. – Succession identification and development among AAUW members. National AAUW regularly publishes encouraging news articles (337 hits!) about mentoring in general (often during January – National Mentoring Month). National AAUW launched a pilot online mentoring program in April 2013 but there does not seem to have been any follow-up. AAUW - CA - 13 April 2014katydickinson.com9

AAUW and Mentoring – Next Steps? AAUW – CA’s Leadership Development Team is now considering the potential for a mentoring program for AAUW members AAUW has a remarkable resource in California – experienced professionals who can serve as STEM mentors to young women. AAUW-CA members who feel the call to mentor young women should consider two excellent organizations: TechWomen: MentorNet: AAUW - CA - 13 April 2014katydickinson.com10