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EWC Mentorship Application for MENTEES

**** This application CLOSED on Friday, July 10th at 5pm. **** 

This ECE Mentorship initiative is a 1- year commitment from Fall (August) of 2026-Spring (May) of 2027 which requires you to be a full- time employee and working at a Community Based Organization or at a Chicago Public School, serving birth through Pre-k classrooms in the City of Chicago. This mentorship program aims to support the growth of new teachers (mentee), with less than 5 years of experience in the field. Mentees will be paired with a seasoned professional (mentor) in the Early Childhood field. This will be completed through personalized goal setting, action plans, observations, and professional development. With the support of a mentor, both the mentor and mentee will work collaboratively to navigate personal and professional challenges, using an equitable, strength-based approach to identify solutions and promote growth.

This mentorship initiative is offered through the Education Workforce Center at City Colleges of Chicago and is proudly funded through the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

If selected for the 2026–2027 Mentorship Cohort, you agree to become a member of the Education Workforce Center (EWC). The EWC provides a variety of supportive services designed to help Early Childhood Education Professionals grow and advance in their careers. Membership is free of charge. To learn more, visit https://www.chicagoewc.org/

For any questions please contact: The Education Workforce Center at ewc@ccc.edu

First Name *

Last Name *

Date of Birth *

Email *

Phone number *

Home address *

City *

State *

Home Zip code *

Gender *

We ask this to ensure our services are inclusive and accessible to all communities.

Race/Ethnicity *

We ask this to ensure our services are inclusive and accessible to all communities.

Place of Employment (Must be employed in Chicago) *

Employer Address *

City and State *

Work Zip Code *

Have you ever been a recipient of any of the following scholarships? If so, please click all that apply. *

What is your highest level of education? *

How long have you been in the Early Childhood Education field? *

Which grade band do you currently teach in? *

Please describe what you are looking for in a mentor and what do you hope to gain from this experience (specifically areas of growth i.e. communication, executive functioning skills, boundaries, challenging behaviors etc.)? *

Have you identified someone that you would like to be a mentor to you? *

If "Yes" selected above, what is your relationship with this person? *

Please enter identified mentor's contact information  (Name, role and employer, e-mail, and phone number) (role and employer) *

If selected, what type of professional development opportunities would you like to receive as a mentee? *

In short essay form, respond to: Do you plan to teach in a birth to Pre-K setting for the next five years? Please explain why or why not. *

In short essay form, respond to: What are your career goals within the next 5 years? *

In short essay form, respond to: What areas of growth are you seeking support in as an early professional in the field? *

In short essay form, respond to: Why are you interested in this mentorship program? *

I understand that this is a 1- year commitment that will begin in Fall 2026 through Spring 2027. *

I understand that selection to the cohort means: *

1.) Participation and engagement for 1-year commitment (Fall 2026-Spring 2027) that will require time outside of my regular work hours. 2.) Meeting with assigned mentor (virtually/physically) on a monthly basis for a minimum of one hour to create goals and discuss implementation. 3.) Attend 1 virtual onboarding session. (Scheduled in August) 4.) Attend an in-person orientation. (Scheduled in September) 5.) Attend 2 in-person Professional Development training on Saturdays (Schedule TBD) 6.) Completion of paperwork that is required through the program. 7.) Become a member of the Education Workforce Center (free of charge) 8.) I will be a CCC student (free of charge).

Time outside regular work hours include: *

1.) Monthly meetings with assigned mentor (virtually or in-person). 2 Saturdays attending Professional Development trainings.

I agree to the terms and expectations listed above if selected to participate in the mentorship program. *

Please rate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements on a scale of 1-5, where 1 = strongly disagree and 5 = strongly agree. The following questions will be used for evaluation purposes only and will NOT be used to determine selection into the mentorship program. 1.) I know how to solve a problem that happens in the classroom. *

I know who to ask if I need support from others at work. *

I know that I am good at my job. *

I am comfortable asking for things I need at work. *

I am an effective leader at work. *

I am good at managing my classroom. *

I see myself working in Early Childhood in five years. *

I am interested in being promoted. *

I enjoy my current position at my job. *

I like my workplace and my colleagues. *

I have a healthy work-life balance. *

I have a stressful job. *

Full name *

This application will not be accepted after Friday, July 10th after 5pm. *