NEW! We are launching a pilot BIPOC to BIPOC mentorship stream this year. See below for details.

Mentorship Program Overview

Applications for the mentorship program open November 15 of each year and closes on January 15. Mentors and mentees are paired by February 1 and the mentoring relationship is until December 31.  Once matched, the best means and frequency of communication is decided upon between the mentor and mentee.

Mentoring relationships are intended to provide students and new practitioners with a friendly point of contact within the profession and a safe, open dialogue to ask any unanswered questions about archival work and the professional community. Mentees are encouraged to be forthcoming with their questions as well as conscientious that mentors will be responding within the framework of their own schedules. In turn, the role of mentors is to offer advice and feedback on career development any related insight from their own experiences.

The program period is for one year; however, the mentoring relationship may continue if both parties agree. Note that the program also has a limit of a one-time sign up for mentees. At the end of the year, the Membership Committee will solicit program evaluation from participants.

The Mentorship Program Coordinator is also available throughout the year for any questions or feedback from participants at mentorship.program (at) archivists.ca

BIPOC Mentorship Pilot Program

Membership Committee and the ACA BIPOC Special Interest Section (BIPOC S.I.S.) are pleased to launch a pilot BIPOC-to-BIPOC mentorship stream this year.

The goal of the ACA Mentorship Program is to facilitate the integration of new archivists into the Canadian archival community by matching them with mentors who may advise and guide them on career and professional development. The BIPOC-to-BIPOC pilot will be administered through the existing Mentorship Program and organizing members of the BIPOC S.I.S. will evaluate the applications and recommend a suitable pairing.

Mentors and mentees are matched based primarily on interests. While an attempt is made to match based on geographical location, the archives community in Canada is relatively small and spread out across the country. The majority of mentees are concentrated in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, and there are not enough archivists in those areas to match all mentees. However, mentors throughout Canada are able to advise on aspects of the archival profession.

We are looking for volunteer mentors in the BIPOC community with at least 5 years experience, though exceptions can be made on a case by case basis. We invite students and new professionals to participate in this opt-in pilot program and explore the opportunities of being paired with a BIPOC professional.

ACA membership is required for mentees and mentors. We are pleased to offer the student membership rate to mentees who are new professionals and require support to participate. Recognizing BIPOC mentors may also require financial assistance, we are offering a limited number of subsidized individual memberships, when requested. BIPOC mentors who request financial assistance on the application can access a limited number of subsidized Individual memberships. Help the ACA foster a supportive BIPOC network.

BIPOC Mentorship Pilot Program Eligibility

Mentees 

Any ACA member who is a student of archival studies, recent graduate of archival studies (within 5 years), or has recently entered the archival profession is invited to sign up for a mentor from the Canadian archival community. This program is open to members who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)

To be a mentee, apply here.

Mentors 

Any ACA member with a minimum of 5 years of post-graduate experience in the archival/information management field and a commitment to cultivating career development and fostering connections with emerging professionals. This could include equivalent years of experience, please get in touch with the Mentorship Program if you have questions about eligibility: mentorship.program (at) archivists.ca

This program is open to members who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC)

To be a mentor, apply here.

More Information

Any questions about the Mentorship Program, guidelines, or applications may be directed to the Mentorship Program Coordinator at mentorship.program (at) archivists.ca