National Mentoring Program
National Mentoring Program Goals
The CWRA National Mentorship Program aims to support newer CWRA members, fostering their professional growth and enhancing their involvement in both water management and CWRA activities. Through the program, participants can build lasting connections within the CWRA community and facilitate the sharing of knowledge across different generations of water resource professionals. The program operates virtually, allowing for participation across Canada.
Mentees at any stage of their career, whether early in their undergraduate studies, seeking employment, or looking to advance their careers, are encouraged to apply. Additionally, newcomers to Canada with international experience in water resources who are seeking opportunities in the Canadian water sector are welcome to participate. While group discussions will be conducted in English, we will make every effort to pair French-speaking mentees with French-speaking mentors.
In Spring 2025, CWRA will offer two mentoring sessions, and participants are encouraged to attend both. The program will run from March to April, with applications currently open exclusively for this period. The deadline for applications is March 14th. This session will feature two 2-hour group meetings, scheduled for March 23rd and April 27th. The specific focus of the mentoring session will be tailored to the needs and interests of the selected participants.
- Both mentoring sessions will feature group activities such as speed mentoring, resume reviews with feedback, and open discussion periods. Between meetings, each mentee will have the opportunity to connect with a mentor for a one-on-one, 60-minute virtual session. The program is designed to foster meaningful connections among all participants, with group meetings helping mentees build a broad professional network that includes both experienced mentors and their peer cohort.
- Participants in the program are encouraged to connect with members of the mentoring network outside of the scheduled group meetings and engage in the SYP and National CWRA Slack channels. Additionally, all participants are strongly encouraged to attend CWRA events and other water-related activities to further expand their professional networks and knowledge.
There will be another program offered in Fall 2025.
All mentors and mentees in the National Mentoring Program must be members of CWRA.
Mentees are expected to:
- Respond to emails promptly when a response is required.
- Attend all group meetings in order to complete the mentoring program..
- Prepare a resume and cover letter, if they don’t already have one.
- Complete the feedback survey.
- Proactively communicate their mentoring needs to program coordinators.
- Take initiative in scheduling meetings with their mentors.
Mentors are expected to:
- Attend one or two at least the first group group meetings.
- Collaborate with their assigned mentees to schedule individual mentoring sessions between group meetings.
- Communicate any scheduling constraints to mentees and program coordinators.
- Complete the feedback survey.
All group meetings will be held online, and participants must have access to a reliable internet connection.
Program documents will be shared via Google Drive, and participants will need access to it. Program coordinators will be available to assist anyone encountering issues with Google Drive access.
All participants in the mentoring program must comply with the CWRA Code of Ethics and Anti-Harassment Policy.
The application deadline for the Spring 2025 Program is March 14th at 12:00 PM EST.
