Peer mentorship

In 2022, we launched our Peer Mentorship Program. Groups are created with the same information as the 1-on-1 mentorship matches, but the objective and outcomes are different. Participants are placed into groups of about five people at the same career stage. We try to match people based on other metrics as well, but it looks like career stage and time zone are the most important factors for creating groups that are actually able to meet.

In our first year, we provided three activities for the groups to do in their first three months, and it looks like people appreciate the structure. So in the second year of the program we will provide even more activities. All of the activities are optional, and groups can do them in their own time.

Resources

From Women in Cell Biology, check out their article "Peer Mentoring—Colleagues as a Resource for Your Career Development"

This paper by Shelton et al. (2021) on "Expanding the Landscape of Opportunity: Professional Societies Support Early- Career Researchers Through Community Programming and Peer Coaching"

This paper by Elliott et al. (2020) on "An entrepreneurship education and peer mentoring program for women in STEM: mentors’ experiences and perceptions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and intent"