The National Mentoring Program matches upcoming local leaders with members of the Board of Directors to provide an ongoing opportunity for learning and growth. Participants receive significant personal enrichment and leadership development training through telephone contact, written materials and face-to-face meetings.

Mentoring is an excellent way to develop leadership potential and enhance communications throughout the organization. Protegees will benefit greatly from exposure to individuals with experience at the National level and can share this insight with their local areas. Mentors are able to gain a better perspective of issues and concerns in local areas, thus staying more connected to the grass roots of our organization.

The goals of the program are to:

• Develop talented leaders for the organization via coaching from a member of the Board of Directors
• Communicate WAO's strategic vision more effectively
• Build commitment to the organization
• Expand the experience of protegees to include a National perspective.

The Mentor's role is to aid in the growth and development of the Protegee and to share information from the National Organization. In addition to being open to coaching, each Protegee will be responsible for developing a skill which can be used to benefit her local area. The Protegee will also have the opportunity to meet with national and international ORT leaders by attending meaningful seminars and meetings on an annual basis.

The program will last 18 months. There will be ongoing telephone conference calls for all protegees to connect and share experiences. In addition, Cheryll Engel and Lynn Warner, National Mentoring Program Co-Chairs, and Tanea Hammond, Special Projects Administrator, will monitor progress and be available to provide ongoing support.

For additional information on the National Mentoring Program, please contact:

Tanea Hammond
Special Projects Administrator
Women's American ORT
250 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10003
1.800.51.WAORT, ext. 238