# Welcome Mentors & Mentees! ![](https://495550111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-M8W6E4E908q_v5asyLG%2F-MEOlMWdohucxAUdG_Un%2F-MEOpooJBK-x8hv6199x%2FBanner.PNG?alt=media\&token=b7cb4b98-c5ff-4292-be7f-b7b9c2af69d7) Here you can find all information concerning the mentoring program at [CorrelAid](https://correlaid.org/). **The CorrelAid Mentoring Program: Creating a space for our data enthusiasts to learn from each other** At CorrelAid we strive to support and grow the education of our socially committed and involved data scientists. Our mentoring program reflects just that. With over 2200 amazing data enthusiasts in our network, we have a diverse set of experiences: From people just starting out in their data science journey to experienced professionals from academia and industry. The CorrelAid Mentoring Program aims at connecting you as mentors and mentees and enable you to shape your journey together. Your conversations can range from career or personal decisions over exchanging technical knowledge to getting general advice about topics the mentee would like to advance in. **Be a mentor: Listen and share your experiences.** No worries: As a mentor, you do not necessarily need to be an expert in a subject or proven professional! While being a mentor does include offering advice and giving insight into your own development, mentorship also means to listen actively and helping evaluate goals and ideas together with your mentee. We will match you tailored to the advice you can offer: We look forward to having you as a mentor - whether you have gained experience in internships or the university or whether you are indeed a proven professional. And if you are still unsure if you are fit to be a mentor: Feel free to contact one of the [program organizers](/organizers-and-contact) or write us an e-mail via . Register [here](https://ee.correlaid.org/x/epbL1DV7) as a mentor. **Be a mentee: Let more experienced data enthusiasts help you grow and learn** You are: * a data science, programming or CorrelAid beginner? * seeking career advice? * starting a new chapter in your life, e.g. at university and work? * or want to get active at CorrelAid and don't know how? Then this program is just right for you! Register [here](https://ee.correlaid.org/x/ve7byMOj) as a mentee. ![](https://495550111-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-M8W6E4E908q_v5asyLG%2F-MEOq0OmdYs3mCxoxb3C%2F-MEOqDu9yaS65CWvAWji%2Frelation.PNG?alt=media\&token=01c8aeeb-fa90-4911-a9c9-158b01c06ab6) # Why should I participate? **As a mentor: Enhance your personal growth by sharing your experiences** Mentoring is a win for both sides: You help the mentee to learn and develop while also growing yourself! As a mentor, you develop your social and leadership skills: * *You improve your emotional intelligence and leadership skills.* While working on your mentee's goals you will be able to exercise appropriate reactions in different situations. * *You earn recognition as an expert and leader.* It can be a very rewarding experience to share your knowledge and experience with a willing learner. * *You expand your knowledge in and outside your field.* Through conversations with your mentee and other program participants you are exposed to new and different perspectives and therefore likely to discover new aspects and ideas. This way, you can also reflect on your own goals and decisions. * *You grow your network.* Not only will you build a relationship with your mentee, the program will also give you the opportunity to connect with many other data scientists and data enthusiasts of diverse backgrounds. It is therefore no surprise that a study found mentors were six times more likely to be promoted and 20% more likely to receive a raise compared to those who didn’t mentor. ([Forbes 2011](< https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2011/10/31/how-becoming-a-mentor-can-boost-your-career/#215aff595f57>)). **As a mentee: Gain new insights to reach your goals** A mentor can help you to reach smaller or bigger goals that you don't really know yet how to reach by yourself. From being in a mentoring relationship you gain: * *Tailored advice*. A mentor can share their own experience and best practices and provide you with recommendations that perfectly fit your situation. * *New ideas*. While talking to your mentor you will be exposed to new ways of thinking that might shift your perspective on situations and challenges you face. * *New skills*. There always is something that we can learn - whether it is about technical knowledge, soft or life skills - especially from people who walked already through your current situation. Grab the chance! # Timeline & Process *This page gives an overview of the CorrelAid Mentoring Program's timeline and process. We will communicate all relevant deadlines, events and guidelines also via e-mail in more detail.* **Overview Important Dates**
What?When?When?
(Virtual) Q&A EventFebruary 23rd, 2026, 6-7 p.m.September 16th 2023
Registrations closeMarch 23rd, 2026October 4th 2023
Receive your match untilApril 8th, 2026October 12th, 2023 7:30-8:15pm
(Virtual) Kick-Off MeetingApril 13th, 2026, 6-7 p.m.
The CorrelAid Mentoring program will **start in** **April and take 5 to 6 months**. You can register as a mentor and as a mentee for the same program period. **Registration** Registrations for the mentoring program are open from February, 16th until March, 23rd. You can register both as mentor and mentee if you like. Register as a [mentee here](https://ee.correlaid.org/x/ve7byMOj) or a [mentor here](https://ee.correlaid.org/x/epbL1DV7). **Matching Process** After the application deadline, the coordination team will match you with a suitable mentor/mentee. We will base the matching on the information that you share with us in the registration. We will do our best to match you with the best mentor or mentee possible. Nevertheless, please be aware that we cannot always grant every wish, especially if you have very specific requirements. Even if unlikely, it is also possible that we will not be able to provide you with a match at all. **Kick-Off Meeting** The official start of the program is the **Kick-Off Meeting** which will take place **Monday, April 13th**. With this webinar, we will prepare you for being a mentor or mentee and provide you with first advice so that you are best equipped to shape your relationship in a way that you can both profit most from. **Individual Mentoring until October** After this webinar, the mentoring will start. Because every mentoring relationship is unique, you can decide best how you would like to work together. For your first session, we recommend you to align your expectations and goals. You can also talk about how you would like to structure your meetings for the next six months (e.g. frequency of your meetings, communication channel). We recommend you to try out different things and find out what works best for you. For more information, feel free to browse our "Guides & Resources" section on how to shape your relationship jointly, communicate remotely and establish a fruitful mentee-mentor relationship. **Official Phasing out** **our Mentoring Program:** **Beginning of October** At the end of the mentoring program, there will be a final virtual event where we will look back on your experiences, share highlights of your joint journeys and enable you to connect with other mentors and mentees from our program. Please also reserve some time to evaluate your process, experience and results with the program in your last session together. For sure, you are free to continue and further develop your mentoring relationship after the final event if you would like to do so! **Curious? Register for the mentoring program and stay tuned!** # Organizers & Contact We are the CorrelAid team organizing the mentoring program. Feel free to contact anyone of us on Slack for any questions or write an e-mail to . We are always happy to hear from you! **Nevena Nikolajević** ("@Nevena" on Slack)
Nevena joined CorrelAid in November 2023 as part of the office team and supports the work of the Civic Data Lab. Her responsibilities include coordinating data projects and providing advice to NPOs during data consultation hours. **Andreas Neumann** ("@Andreas Neumann" on Slack) Andreas has contributed to CorrelAid’s Data4Good work since 2020. He is currently the co‑coordinator of the DataViz learning group CorrelAid-TidyTuesday. He also served as a member of the board, where he was jointly responsible for community work, supporting collaboration and networking among volunteers in local chapters. In his full-time job, he works as a data analyst for an online retailer. # Code of Conduct ### Mission CorrelAid is an independent and inclusive non-partisan network. Our projects are aimed at supporting non-profit organisations in expanding their impact by enabling them to actively participate in the digital world. We commit ourselves against racism, sexism and discrimination and we support equality in our teams and transparency in our work. Besides helping NGOs we want to support all those people who are engaged in our projects in their spare time to develop their own career in Data Science, Data4Good projects and other related fields with the “CorrelAid Mentoring Program”. We believe in harnessing the power of the internet to foster connection and want to increase diversity in technology. ### Program Expectations The CorrelAid Mentoring Program is a six-month commitment. As mentors and mentees, it is expected that you will be present throughout the entire mentorship cycle. That six month period will include: * A virtual kick-off event. * A one-on-one call between mentor and mentee on day one of the first mentorship period. We strongly encourage this call to be done via video. * Monthly calls via video or voice, with weekly / bi-weekly / regular email follow-ups to check in on monthly goals, progress, and adjustments. * Participation in the mid-program *check-in and survey*. * A wrap-up call at the end of the mentorship period. Because mentorship builds upon the foundation set in each month’s call, we expect mentors and mentees to commit to the full six month period. Since “life happens,” we expect participants to reach out to the Mentoring Coordination Team as soon as possible if any changes that would interrupt their participation at this time. ### Expected Behavior Be considerate, respectful, and collaborative. Refrain from unacceptable behaviour. Unacceptable behavior includes but is not limited to: * Offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, disability, mental illness, neuro(a)typicality, physical appearance, body size, age, race, or religion. * Unwelcome comments regarding a person’s lifestyle choices and practices, including those related to food, health, parenting, drugs, and employment. * Deliberate misgendering or use of ‘dead’ or rejected names. * Gratuitous or off-topic sexual images or behaviour in spaces where they’re not appropriate. * Physical contact and simulated physical contact (eg, textual descriptions like “*hug*” or “*backrub*“) without consent or after a request to stop. * Threats of violence. * Incitement of violence towards any individual, including encouraging a person to commit suicide or to engage in self-harm. * Deliberate intimidation. * Stalking or following. * Harassing photography or recording, including logging online activity for harassment purposes. * Sustained disruption of discussion. * Unwelcome sexual attention. * Pattern of inappropriate social contact, such as requesting/assuming inappropriate levels of intimacy with others. * Continued one-on-one communication after requests to cease. * Deliberate “outing” of any aspect of a person’s identity without their consent except as necessary to protect vulnerable people from intentional abuse. * Publication of non-harassing private communication. Participate in an authentic and active way. In doing so, you help to create the CorrelAid Mentoring Program and make it your own. #### Consequences Of Unacceptable Behavior Unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated by other participants, organizers, mentors, and mentees including, but not limited to, interactions in one-on-one video/voice calls between mentors, in Slack, or via email. Anyone asked to stop unacceptable behavior is expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in unacceptable behavior, the organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, up to and including expulsion from the program without warning. #### What To Do If You Witness Or Are Subject To Unacceptable Behavior If you are subject to unacceptable behavior, notice that someone else is being subject to unacceptable behavior, or have any other concerns, please notify a program organizer as soon as possible.The Mentoring Support Team will be available to assist those experiencing unacceptable behavior to feel safe for the duration of the program. ### Scope We expect all participants to abide by this code of conduct at all times. ### License And Attribution This Code of Conduct is inspired by the awesome work of Open Source Bridge, but with our program information substituted. The original was available via [opensourcebridge.org](http://opensourcebridge.org/about/code-of-conduct/) and released under a CreativeCommons Attribution-ShareAlike license. We got the list of unacceptable behaviour from the R-ladies ([r-ladies.org](https://rladies.org/coc/)) and it is licensed under the Creative Commons Zero license. # For mentors **Shaping your mentoring experience as a mentor** A good mentoring relationship is a two-way street where both grow. You want to know how to support this two-way street from your mentor perspective?\ Read on and check out our resources that will provide you with first tips! **First, keep in mind: Mentees drive their own development** Your role as a mentor is to guide mentees in their development. You can do that by sharing your experiences, actively listening, pointing to helpful resources or giving feedback and advice. Beyond that it is up to the mentee to take action toward their goals 😊 **Tips in a nutshell for you as a mentor:** * Set **joint expectations** when you are kicking off your mentoring relationship * Take a **genuine interest** in your mentee as a person * Share your experiences, that means **failures and successes** * Celebrate your mentee’s **milestones** * Develop a feeling for when to **actively listen** and ask questions - and when to **give advice** * **Reflect openly and regularly** on your expectations and how you shape the mentoring experience to make it rewarding for both of you. Want to know more about the nutshell tips in detail?\ As a starter, check out this 1 minute video on being a “[good mentor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIrRI9x7O9U)”!\ And explore these [5 key skills for a mentor](https://www.forbes.com/sites/carriekerpen/2018/06/18/5-things-great-mentors-do/) and get further [inspiration on how to be a great mentor](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/mentor-tips-positive-impact). Wondering how to structure your sessions?\ Get orientated in[ how to run a productive mentoring session.](https://www.guider-ai.com/blog/how-to-run-a-productive-mentoring-session) Last but not least: Keep growing together by engaging in a **professional relationship** and having **fun**. *See our* [*sources* ](https://mentoring.correlaid.org/sources)*page for helpful resources this information is based on.* # For mentees **Shaping your mentoring experience as a mentee** A good mentoring relationship is a two-way street where both grow. You want to know how to support this two-way street from your mentee perspective?\ Read on and check out our resources that will provide you with first tips! **First, keep in mind: Your mentor is a volunteer** Be respectful of their time and know what you want to get out of your joint meetings. As a mentee, you are in the driver seat of your development, during and outside your sessions 😊 **Tips in a nutshell for you as a mentee:** * Have a **clear goal** for the mentoring relationship * Set **joint expectations** when you are kicking off your mentoring relationship * Share your **progress and challenges** while working continuously on your goal * Come **prepared**: send the agenda and requests for feedback before your sessions * Ask **questions and** be open to **feedback** * **Reflect openly and regularly** on your expectations and how you shape the mentoring experience to make it rewarding for both of you. Want to know more about the nutshell tips in detail?\ As a starter, check out this 1 minute video on being a “[good mentee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmYNfoaixNY)”!\ And explore these[ 7 tips for getting the most out of a mentoring relationship](https://www.bridging-the-gap.com/working-with-career-coach/) and [how to be a great mentee](https://www.forbes.com/sites/ashiraprossack1/2018/04/27/how-to-be-a-great-mentee/). Wondering how to structure your sessions?\ Get orientated in[ how to run a productive mentoring session.](https://www.guider-ai.com/blog/how-to-run-a-productive-mentoring-session) Last but not least: Keep growing together by engaging in a **professional relationship** and having **fun**. *See our* [*sources* ](https://mentoring.correlaid.org/sources)*page for helpful resources this information is based on.* # Communicating Remotely In this section we collected a few helpful tools, blog posts and other information to help you communicate remotely. As CorrelAiders we are used to working together remotely. Here we collected some best practices from our experience for communicating virtually: * First of all, you need good tools to do so. We collected a few below. * Schedule meetings in advance and prepare an agenda. * When in doubt, overcommunicate instead of assuming that you are on the same page. In a remote setting assumptions are not as easily made therefore always make sure that your mentor or mentee knows what you need, think or are concerned about. * Respect each other's time. Set specific times where you work on your mentoring relationship. You do not always have to be available. **Tools** * **Video Calls** * You will all get access to our CorrelAid Slack (if you do not have one already) where you can chat and video or voice call as well. * Skype * [Zoom](https://zoom.us/) * [GoogleHangouts](https://hangouts.google.com/) **Written communication, sharing notes** * * To share notes, comments and thoughts too long for a Slack message or e-mail we recommend the following tools: * [HackMD](https://hackmd.io/#): Free tool for written collaboration. Based on markdown language. * Google Drive * **Find time for sessions** * [Doodle.com](https://doodle.com/de/) * [Calendly](https://calendly.com/de) * [whenisgood.net](http://whenisgood.net/) # Kicking Off and Maintaining your Relationship Here we have a short guide to help you kick off your relationship and maintain it successfully throughout the program. **Before the first meeting** Before the first meeting, agree via e-mail or Slack with which tools you want to communicate, how frequently and how long you want your meetings to be and which times work best for both of you (read our guide on remote working). It is also helpful to already talk about what topics you are interested in and what you would like to talk about so that both mentee and mentor can prepare for the first meeting. Mentors, please reach out to your mentee as soon as possible after the Kick-Off. **First meeting** The first meeting is very important for your mentoring relationship since this is where you first get to know each other and lay the groundwork for future sessions. This meeting can be flexible, you can talk about yourselves, your hobbies and of course the mentee's challenges and how the mentor can help best to address them. The goal of this meeting should be to finalize the mentor-mentee-agreement below which helps you in defining your goals for this program. During the meeting and while filling out this form you should answer questions like: * What are the mentee's key challenges which they want to address? * What is the mentors relevant expertise to address these issues? * What goals do you want to set for the end of the program in 6 months? * How do you want to give feedback? * How often do you want to meet in the future and when? We ask mentees to think about these questions in advance and already fill out the form before your first meeting with your mentor. A successful mentoring relationship needs clearly defined goals which is why you should already prepare answers to some of the questions above. Here you can download the mentor-mentee-agreement form. {% file src="/files/-MJlZqVt8tOsilbKwIul" %} *See our* [*sources* ](https://mentoring.correlaid.org/sources)*page for helpful resources this information is based on.* # Icebreakers If you're unsure how to start your first conversation with your mentor or mentee, these Icebreakers might help you: * How would you describe your current occupation in ONE word? * Which THREE aspects of your occupation would you like to change? * Games, like “10 things in common” () * Fun Facts: Most daredevil thing you've ever done and why, Person living or dead that you most want to meet and why, ... * Talk about an unpleasant situation you experienced at school/uni/work. What did (you) change since then? ... Further inspiration: * # Disclaimer #### Das CorrelAid Mentoring Programm wird angeboten von[ CorrelAid e.V.](https://www.correlaid.org/) #### Haftung für Links Unser Angebot enthält Links zu externen Webseiten Dritter, auf deren Inhalte wir keinen Einfluss haben. Deshalb können wir für diese fremden Inhalte auch keine Gewähr übernehmen. Für die Inhalte der verlinkten Seiten ist stets der jeweilige Anbieter oder Betreiber der Seiten verantwortlich. Die verlinkten Seiten wurden zum Zeitpunkt der Verlinkung auf mögliche Rechtsverstöße überprüft. Rechtswidrige Inhalte waren zum Zeitpunkt der Verlinkung nicht erkennbar. Eine permanente inhaltliche Kontrolle der verlinkten Seiten ist jedoch ohne konkrete Anhaltspunkte einer Rechtsverletzung nicht zumutbar. Bei Bekanntwerden von Rechtsverletzungen werden wir derartige Links umgehend entfernen. Urheberrecht Die durch die Seitenbetreiber erstellten Inhalte und Werke auf diesen Seiten unterliegen dem deutschen Urheberrecht. Die Vervielfältigung, Bearbeitung, Verbreitung und jede Art der Verwertung außerhalb der Grenzen des Urheberrechtes bedürfen der schriftlichen Zustimmung des jeweiligen Autors bzw. Erstellers. Downloads und Kopien dieser Seite sind nur für den privaten, nicht kommerziellen Gebrauch gestattet. Soweit die Inhalte auf dieser Seite nicht vom Betreiber erstellt wurden, werden die Urheberrechte Dritter beachtet. Insbesondere werden Inhalte Dritter als solche gekennzeichnet. Sollten Sie trotzdem auf eine Urheberrechtsverletzung aufmerksam werden, bitten wir um einen entsprechenden Hinweis. Bei Bekanntwerden von Rechtsverletzungen werden wir derartige Inhalte umgehend entfernen. ### Datenschutzerklärung #### Verantwortlich im Sinne des geltenden Datenschutzgesetzes ist: CorrelAid e.V., Pasteurstr. 34, 10407 Berlin. E-Mail: #### Der Datenschutzbeauftragte des Verantwortlichen: SPIRIT LEGAL Rechtsanwaltsgesellschaft mbH, Rechtsanwalt und Datenschutzbeauftragter: Peter Hense Postanschrift: Datenschutzbeauftragter c/o CorrelAid e.V., Pasteurstr. 34, 10407 Berlin. E-Mail: # Sources To create this information material we made use of helpful resources listed below: * [MentorEverywhere](https://mentoreverywhere.com/), a successful mentoring program for the remote employees of Automattic, provides extensive resources concerning best practices on how to set up a remote mentoring program. We used many of their tipps on how to be a good mentor or mentee. * [The Mentoring-in-a-Box: Technical Women at Work](https://www.ncwit.org/resources/mentoring-box-technical-women-work) is a mentoring program by the National Center for Women & Information Technology and the Anita Borg Institute for Women in Technology. They provide useful resources on how to mentor women in technological industries.