eMentoring – building connections and community online

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I ran my first eMentoring program in 2008, with the help of eGuru, Gihan Perera. Back then FaceBook was in its infancy and most of the social media we take for granted now wasn’t around. We set up an online platform that enabled ninety participants across the state to get to know each other, share tips and discuss issues. The program featured an online resource centre with video tutorials, and teleconferences (webinars were still new) with online chat afterwards.

Now, there are sophisticated platforms which help you match and manage large numbers of participants. Even if you don’t use one of those, almost all mentoring programs use technology to connect with participants. Whether it’s simple email, text or a website, online communication is vital.

You may think of eMentoring, as mentors and mentorees meeting online because they cannot get together. Virtual meetings allow people to mentor at a distance from workplace or home and there are plenty of programs where mentoring partners never meet face-to-face. However, there’s a whole lot more we can do to engage participants, support them and enhance their mentoring experience with online tools. eMentoring does not have to involve big, expensive platforms that make you dependent on outside experts.  There’s a lot you can do yourself, or with minimal tech help, such as:

Automated email

Prepare an eCourse, mentoring tips, prompts or a newsletter. An automated system lets you do the work to set them up once, then re-use them again and again for as long as you want. They can reinforce or complement other learning.

Digital Resources

Written, audio or audio-visual materials online are convenient because participants can access them 24/7 as often as they want.

Interactive communities

An online network can be highly engaging for participants. You can provide personal support and respond to individual needs.

Now, we are all so connected with devices, it’s hard to imaging life before the internet.  We expect information at our fingertips. You need online elements in your program.

I hope you’ll join us to discuss eMentoring in our webinar this week, I’ll share tools, tips and examples of how online activities enhance mentoring programs.