ASA | NVL - A Leadership Program for Professionals of Color in Aging

NVL Mentor/Partner Agreement

The purpose of this Agreement is to delineate the relationship, roles, and responsibilities of mentor and partner in the New Ventures in Leadership program (NVL). It should serve as a way to measure the partner's progress and to achieve the expectations of both partner and mentor.

Overview of NVL Program:
New Ventures in Leadership provides an innovative, cost-effective, and empowering approach to the development of leadership in the field of aging among professionals of color. It is the only program explicitly designed to promote the leadership of professionals of color in aging and their involvement in the national aging arena.

Educational Seminars:
Partners attend three training events during a 12 month period: two ASA-NCOA Joint Conferences and a week training in Washington, D.C. On these occasions, partners receive customized group training and have the opportunity to attend workshops, pre-conference programs, half- and full-day intensives, symposia and other educational events presented by the leading educators, practitioners, researchers and policy analysts in the field of aging. They are introduced to policy makers, prominent aging professionals of color academic researchers. ASA's leadership and other key "players" in the aging field. Partners are also encouraged to participate in ASA's standing committees and become involved in other leadership activities sponsored by ASA. This includes attendance at ASA's Board of Directors meeting in the spring, allowing participants to observe the strategic planning, policy deliberations and budgeting activities of a national organization in the field of aging.

Special Projects:
Partners develop a special project that directly or indirectly contributes to the well-being of older persons of color in their communities. This could be an outreach campaign, applied research, a needs assessment, involvement in a policy-related project or a plan to improve the delivery of services.

Mentors:
To assist the partners in developing leadership and management skills and effectively developing and implementing their special projects, partners are paired with two mentors. The local mentor provides the partner with assistance in this/her special project, as well as leadership development at the local level. The national mentor assists the partner to network with ASA leadership and keeps him/her informed of the public policy implications, trends and challenges that lie ahead in the national aging arena. The national mentor also promotes the partner's career and management development by helping to refine the partner's professional goals and objectives. Both the national and the local mentors should facilitate the partner's career and management development by helping to refine his/her personal career goals and objectives.

Local Mentor Responsibilities:

Participate in two conference call meetings, one at the beginning (April- June) and one at the end (December- March) of the training period.
Provide the partner with support, technical assistance and direction on his/her special project through regularly scheduled meetings or telephone calls
Assist the partner with his/her career goals, as described in the Partner's Program Expectations outline, by providing direction and making him/her aware of local networks, training, professional organizations and if possible, introductions to key persons in the community.
Assist the partner in developing his/her leadership skills as described in the Partner's Program Expectations outline by sharing personal experiences/knowledge and other appropriate information (i.e., contacts, networks, resources, articles, books, and personal experiences).
Submit a final Partner Evaluations at the end of the training period (guidelines and forms will be provided)

National Mentor Responsibilities:

Participate in two conference call meetings, one at the beginning (April- June) and one at the end (December- March) of the training period.
Assist the partner to refine his/her career goals and provide professional guidance by keeping him/her abreast of networking opportunities and professional affiliations that have the potential to advance the partner's career in the field of aging.
Provide leadership support and career direction by sharing professional and personal experiences, knowledge, and other appropriate information (i.e., contacts, networks, resources, suggested readings) with the partner.
Provide the partner with direction, support and feedback on his/her special project and, when possible, provide information that could be relevant to the partner's project (i.e., articles, studies, or research).
Submit a final Partner Evaluations at the end of the training period (guidelines and forms will be provided)

NVL Partner Responsibilities:

Participate in conference call meetings with mentors and NVL Project Manager as required.
Submit copy of Special Project Description, Outline and Timeline, Biographical Sketch, Topics for Training, and Program Expectations to NVL Project Staff.
Attend three training events (two Annual Meetings and a week training in DC) and participate in assigned workshops, meetings, and other related activities.
Utilize telephone, facsimile, and/or electronic or written correspondence to maintain open dialog with mentors, as well as meet regularly with local mentor to review progress of special project and to keep mentor updated of any professional developments.
Submit progress report/evaluation to NVL Project Manager following a one-week training event in DC (guidelines and form will be provided).
Submit Final Program Evaluation to NVL Project Manager upon completion of all training events and special project (guidelines and form will be provided).
Develop a special project within the training period (one year).