Mentoring program: Women supporting women Academic Article in Scopus uri icon

abstract

  • © 2021 IEEE.Gender equity and inclusion have been relevant topics in the agenda of the companies, organizations and universities. As a university and particularly with engineering, science and technology programs, it is relevant to implement actions that encourage this culture of gender equity in a STEM environment. The main initiatives are related to mentoring programs, which seek to develop and empower women through women themselves. The research aims to identify the factors that influence the impact generated by the mentoring process in the different stakeholders: teachers, researchers and high school students. The mentoring model is composed of three key elements: (a) massive session with life testimonies of engineering and science students, (b) massive session with the testimonies of mentors and mentees, and (c) the mentoring sessions in small groups or one-to-one. The methodology is of a mixed nature and is composed of 4 stages: (1)design of the mentoring program based on the research of literature review and interviews with companies that has experience in mentoring programs, (2) implementation of the mentoring program with high school students and women STEM professors mentors, (3) evaluation of the impact of the program with interviews with mentors, observation, focus groups with mentors and mentees, and surveys, (4) definition of the impact factors and improvement areas of the program. The findings in the different stages allowed to integrate the factors that impact the mentoring process and its involved stakeholders. Some of the factors that influence the impact of the mentoring program are: the role of the mentor and its characteristics, the mentee profile, its commitments and interests, the impact of the life testimony both professional and personal, the type of needs that arise for the mentees and for the mentors, the time of attention, and the interaction.

publication date

  • April 21, 2021