The Program

Welcome to the WDA/EAZWV/EAAV Mentoring Program 2022-2023.

This joint initiative between the Wildlife Disease Association (WDA), the European Association of Zoo and Wildlife Veterinarians (EAZWV) and the European Association of Avian Veterinarians (EAAV) aims to promote the sharing of knowledge and skills and help maintain strong connections between the professionals of our organisations.

Wild animal health, a broad scientific field, can be competitive and hard to navigate, making it difficult for students and newly graduated professionals to find employment opportunities or identify the right steps to advance in their careers. The objective of this program is to connect students and recent graduates with professionals of the free-ranging and captive wildlife field so they can receive guidance on their early careers.

As well as helping members of the three associations start their careers by providing them with mentorship from already-established professionals, the project aims to motivate these new professionals to take a more active role in their fields and their associations, creating positive feedback that encourages communication and scientific exchange.

This project enlists experts in mentoring and coaching (Transcape) to ensure the joint WDA/EAZWV/EAAV Mentoring Program is robust, valuable for participants and sustainable in the long term.

The first edition of the 2022/23 program will begin with a trial cohort of about 20 to 30 mentor-mentee pairs across the organizations. Following the pilot program, numbers will increase in the next cohorts.

We are looking for members of the WDA who want to join the program either as mentors or mentees. This is a competitive program and, to be accepted, mentees must demonstrate their motivation to become professionals in the field of zoo and wildlife health. Similarly, mentors are expected to show a high level of commitment to help the mentees get the most out of this experience. The pairs will be expected to meet for one to two hours every four to six weeks for a 12-month period.

Please find below all the information about the program and how to apply for it:

The Process

FOR MENTEES

• Firstly, you must watch the Introduction Webinar located HERE. This webinar will provide you with essential information about the program and what is expected from the participants. Likewise, it will give you an introduction to the concept of mentorship and the relationship between mentor and mentee.
• Secondly, we encourage you to read the Guidelines document to familiarise yourself with some basic rules that all participants must follow.
• After this, if you are interested in taking part in the pilot as a Mentee, please complete and submit an Mentee Application Form and send it to wildlifementoringprogram@gmail.com before October 24, 2022. If you are successful, you will be invited to attend a second webinar which will provide further details about the program.

FOR MENTORS

• Firstly, you must watch the Introduction Webinar located HERE. This webinar will provide you with essential information about the program and what is expected from the participants. Likewise, it will give you an introduction to the concept of mentorship and the relationship between mentor and mentee.
• Secondly, we encourage you to read the Guidelines document so you can familiarise yourself with some basic rules that all participants must follow.
• After this, if you are interested in taking part in the pilot as a Mentor, please watch the Second Webinar for Mentors located HERE. This webinar will cover more in detail the role of a mentor, what is expected from you during the program, and the support and training that you will receive. To view a pdf of the presentation with notes click HERE.
• Download the Qualities of a Good Mentor self-rating questionnaire and the Mentor Session Record template referred to in the webinar.
• Finally, please complete and submit a Mentor Application Form and send it to wildlifementoringprogram@gmail.com before October 24, 2022. If you are successful, you will be invited to attend the training sessions.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR POTENTIAL MENTORS: mentors will be trained through a series of webinars and live workshops. Please, ensure you are available on one of the following dates before applying to be a mentor:

• Cohort One:   Thursday, November 10 and Thursday, November 24 at 08:00 GMT.
• Cohort Two: Tuesday, November 15 and Tuesday, November 29 at 17:00 GMT. 

If you are unable to attend one of the sessions, you will be able to connect to the same session in the other cohort. Sadly, if you are unable to attend the training sessions, you cannot participate in the program as a mentor. Please take this into account before applying.