AIGA KC is excited to kick-off its fourth annual mentorship program “Creative Connections,” which partners students or young creatives with skilled professionals. This one-on-one format allows for personalized sessions and the chance to build authentic and lasting relationships over the course of the program and beyond.

In order to get the most out of this experience, we encourage mentor-mentee pairs to communicate about twice per month (roughly five hours total). It’s up to each pair to determine how they’d like to do this. While we typically organize a handful of scheduled, in-person meetups throughout the year, we are instead planning for a series of virtual “Mentor Chats” as we navigate this pandemic together. Whether the pairs choose phone calls, Facetime, a coffee break, all virtual or in-person meetups, the goal is for individuals to create their own experiences and to walk away from the program feeling that they’ve grown in some way.

Involvement in “Creative Connections” is a great way to become active in and help to further strengthen Kansas City’s dynamic design community. With participants from an array of creative fields and career and educational levels, we hope this serves as an opportunity for both mentors and mentees alike to meet, learn, grow and give back while building sustaining relationships.

How it works:

As facilitators of the program, we will pair skilled professionals (5+ years of experience) with either a student or young creative (up to 4 years post-grad). It will be up to each pair to personalize their sessions and build authentic and lasting relationships over the course of the program and beyond. Mentors will be encouraged to listen closely and talk candidly with their mentees, planning sessions either in-person or virtually, most relevant to their specific needs.

Over the course of the year, we will host a handful of virtual “Mentor Chats,” encouraging participating mentors to share their experiences and host a Q&A for the full group of mentees.

Expectations and Timeline:

• Although there is no official time requirement, in order to get the most out of this experience, we ask that each pair try to communicate about twice per month. The format of the sessions is entirely up to you. The ultimate goal is that each person walks away from the program feeling like they’ve grown in some way.
• Program kick-off will be October 2020 and last through May 2021.

Qualifications

• Spots are limited, so make sure to apply early.
• Preference will be given to current AIGA KC members. If you aren’t a current member, sign up here!