The Social Innovation Challenge requires that the applicant, individual or team, has a faculty or community mentor. Mentors are available from the Center for Peace and Commerce Executive Advisory Committee and associated faculty.
Purpose:
The purpose of mentorship is to create collaborative relationships between San Diego’s professional community and our students in proposing viable solutions to real world issues through entrepreneurship and innovation. Mentors will guide students in their learning process as they compete in the Social Innovation Challenge. Students will seek mentor support for improving on how to conceptualize a proposal, articulate it clearly and convincingly, and demonstrate capacity to implement the project within a time frame.. Aiding the student/team in confronting and overcoming challenges and obstacles will be important.
Expectations:
- Act as a sounding board in preparing proposal (suggested 2 hours) -February
- Work with team to give suggestions for their implementation of project -March
- Meet with the team after awards are announced to discuss implementation plan -June
- Review the team’s progress report -September
- Review the team’s final presentation -November
- Attend the team’s final presentations -December
Shared Responsibilities
- Identify a mechanism for periodic communication and its structure between mentor and mentee and follow it
- Co-create an implementation timeline
- Discuss progress briefings
- Respect the relationship and allow for trust and appreciation
Student/Team Responsibilities
- Initiate contact with the mentor
- Be realistic about expectations of mentor
- Understand mentor's expectations
- Plan and set the agenda for each meeting
- Explore opportunities presented by mentor
Mentor Responsibilities
- Create an open and comfortable environment
- Clearly communicate expectations of mentee
- Be an active listener with mentee
- Share opportunities that mentee should explore
Mentor Matching
CPC will recruit mentors and pair them with student/team applicants. Pairing of mentors will be based on the following:
- Matching the mentors’ knowledge with the student/team’s project needs
- Matching the professional aspirations of the student/team with the mentors skill set
Students can select their own mentor, with the approval of the Center for Peace and Commerce, or the Center can help match applicants with a mentor.
Contact Nadia Auch for more information.
