About the programme
Women+ in the Geospatial industry experience and carry shared struggles, successes, and stories – everyday and everywhere.
The annual W+G Mentorship Programme is an international initiative that brings together women+ who want to connect and grow with one another to thrive in their Geospatial careers. We provide guidance, tools, and opportunities through which our cohort members can develop meaningful relationships and achieve their goals together.
To improve the accessibility of mentorship opportunities to women+ in the global geospatial sector, this programme is free of charge.
4
Cohorts
375
+women+ in geospatial empowered
69
countries
150
Mentorship Relationships
Programme Elements
We support three mentorship models: one-to-one mentorship, group mentorship and peer mentorship. Each model comes with its own set of benefits, which allows cohort members to take part in the programme in a way which benefits them the most.
One-to-One Mentorship
A pair of people consisting of a mentor who provides mentorship and a mentee who receives mentorship.
The mentor provides support and advice to the mentee around a particular topic or skill which they have experience in.
Benefits: a dedicated focus on the mentee’s specific area of interest; mentors can develop their management and leadership skills.
Group Mentorship
One mentor provides mentorship to up to three mentees at the same time, in a group setting.
Note that one-to-one support between the mentor an a mentee is not provided in this type of mentorship.
Benefits: opportunities to develop through questions and perspectives of other mentees; grow connections with multiple people.
Peer Mentorship
A group of peers who give and receive mentorship from each other.
There is no single mentor in this type of mentorship; each member of the group acts as an equal contributor.
Benefits: this often benefits people with some working experience who can provide perspectives from their career; allows for growth of connections with multiple people.
The Mentorship Programme doesn’t just stop at mentorship, it also has a number of other unique features which further develop the programme participants’ experiences.
The women in my mentorship group have really supported me (and held me accountable) in growing through our monthly challenges and discussions. – Ariel Low, peer mentor, 2021.
Become part of the W+G mentorship programme community
Information for Applicants
What to expect
We are excited to support you in making the most out of your mentorship journey. If you are selected for the Programme, you should expect to commit to:
- Regular meetings: with your mentor / mentee / peer mentors – once a month at the minimum
- Engagement with the whole cohort, including contributing to Slack discussions on the Mentorship channel and attending cohort video calls
- Creating a legacy, for yourself and for our community of women+ in geospatial. For example, by completing a project of your choosing, or writing / recording a testimonial
- Consistent communication, with your Mentorship Coordinator and active participation in the Programme until the end of the programme
You will need to commit at least 3 hours a month to the programme in order to prepare for and attend your mentorship meetings, and to implement your learning. This time can be spread across the month at points that suit you. You can, of course, spend more time than this to make the most of your experience.
Who can apply
We welcome all who identify as women or are from underrepresented genders to apply to the programme as either a mentor or mentee. This includes cis women, trans women, trans men, non-binary individuals, and those who are otherwise marginalized.
As this is an international programme, you may be matched with a mentorship partner who is not near your home location. Please ensure you are equipped for regular voice or video meetings throughout the programme.
Information for Allies
Cis-men are encouraged to share their knowledge and experience as mentors in the programme. Unfortunately we cannot support mentees who are cis-men.
I was able to meet my mentor at an international industry conference. She had so much time for me and really boosted my confidence. - Madeleine Hann, mentee, 2021
How to apply
As an applicant, you are evaluated based on the information provided in your application form. You would be matched based on your areas of expertise, the skills and knowledge you wish to develop, as well as other practical considerations (e.g. time zones).
What Makes a Successful Application?
For Mentees
Your application is scored based on your responses to the following questions:
- Why do you want to take part in the Mentorship Programme?
- If you are selected for the Mentorship Programme, what do you hope to achieve by the end?
We suggest you write approximately one-two paragraphs to answer these questions – take some time to think through your answers and make them specific to you and your aims to get the best results!
The remaining questions serve to ensure an effective matching – make sure the information you provide is accurate (e.g. your time zone).
Grammatical mistakes are not penalized as long as they don’t affect our comprehension of your answers.
There is limited capacity in our programme; applicants with higher scores are more likely to be invited to join the cohort.
For Mentors
We ask you a short series of questions to learn about the skills and expertise you are able to offer mentees. We also ask about your mentorship preferences and mentoring capacity. We use all of this information to ensure an effective match. Grammatical mistakes are not penalized as long as they don’t affect our comprehension of your answers.
Please take care to answer these questions carefully, particularly those around your capacity, as we will make matches based on these responses and do not want to disappoint any mentees.
Key Dates
Here are the key dates for the upcoming cohort:
- Applications Open – 14th August 2023
- Applications Close – 8th September 2023
- Cohort Begins – 2nd October 2023
- Cohort Ends – 19th May 2024
Interested in the next cohort?
You can sign up to receive an email notification when applications for the Programme next open.
Forging a geospatial community where all genders can thrive.Inspire. Unite. Empower.