About the Program
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Next 100 Colorado is launching the fourth cohort of its Mentorship Program starting in October 2024, aimed at uplifting people of color who work, or were recently employed, in fields related to natural resources management, conservation, or outdoor recreation.
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Vision - Mission - Goals​​
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Since the Mentorship Program was designed in partnership with Justice Outside in 2020, we have had 30 mentors and 30 mentees go through this six-month program that aims to connect Colorado’s emerging and seasoned leaders of color. While each cohort is unique, they are all tied together by efforts to have our participants leave the program with a growing network, applicable life and career skills, and leadership capabilities. The program consists of a series of field trips, trainings, networking events, and one-on-one and small group opportunities and will culminate with a focused capstone project.
Eligibility
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Mentees should identify as a person of color and/or Indigenous; work in public lands, outdoor recreation, natural resources, water, or conservation; work at entry-level and/or have at least 6 months to fewer than 5 years of relevant work experience; and be based in Colorado.
Mentors should identify as a person of color and/or Indigenous; work in public lands, outdoor recreation, natural resources, water, or conservation; work at mid to senior-level or above, with 5 or more years of relevant work experience (including transferable experience); and be based in Colorado.
Students and people that are not currently employed are eligible to apply.
We know that mentors will learn from mentees as much as mentees will learn from mentors, and we welcome the examination of the mentor/mentee construct in the program!
Cost
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The suggested costs listed below are only for mentees and it is not a requirement for the program. Regardless of your employer’s ability to pay, you can still apply if you meet the eligibility requirements listed above. The suggested costs are a sliding scale that depends on the size of your organization.
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There is no suggested cost for mentors to participate but there are sponsorship options if your employer would like to support the program.
Application process
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To apply, please submit the following Google form by July 31, 2024. Applications will run through July 31st, 2024.
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After the application closes, we will conduct a 30-minute Zoom interview with applicants. Interviews for mentors will be held during the week of August 12. Interviews for mentees will be held the week of August 19. You can expect to hear from us by August 5th to schedule your interview and by August 30th to hear of your acceptance.
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Dates
This six-month program will launch at Next 100 Colorado’s annual member and partner convening in October 2024 and will conclude at Colorado Parks and Wildlife Partners in the Outdoors Conference in April 2025. Please see below for a list of program dates and times. To ensure the effectiveness of this program, attendance is mandatory for all participants due to its heavy reliance on participation.
*Participants must participate in 90% of the program in order to receive a certificate of completion (missing no more than 1 session). Next 100 Colorado can work with individuals and their supervisors to ensure understanding of the commitment of the program. Please indicate in your application if you would need that support.
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Mentor On-Boarding: October 2, 5-6 p.m., virtual
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Program launch: October 24-25, in-person for two days
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Programmatic Session 1: November 19, 4-6:30 p.m., virtual
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Programmatic Session 2: January 16, in-person for one day
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Programmatic Session 3: March 20, 4-6:30 p.m. virtual
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Program Conclusion: mid-April 2025, in-person for two days
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Monthly one-on-one mentor/mentee meetings, virtual or in-person for 1-2 hours
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Monthly small group meetings, virtual or in-person for 1-2 hours​
Faq
We want you to have as much information available about our mentorship program as possible. That's why we answered the most frequently asked question and put them below.
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If you have any questions about the program that we haven't answered please feel free to reach out to Modesta McGrath-Martínez (mmcgrath-martinez@keystone.org), Noe Orgaz (noe.orgaz@gmail.com).
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Interested in supporting the mentorship program financially? Learn more here!
For more information about the program or application process, reach out to us at human@next100colorado.org
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