Grafia’s mentorship program2024–2025Grafia’s mentorship program’s fifth year is starting!The program is exclusively for Grafia members and lasts from the end of November to the beginning of summer 2025. During the program, mentors and mentees will work together in pairs. The mentorship program supports Grafia members in developing as professionals and in enforcing a sense of community.The mentorship program will be led by Virpi Haavisto, founder of Avantage and Luova johtaja forum. Virpi is a solution-oriented coach for individuals and teams, who specializes in facilitating the work of creative professionals.There will be a kick-off meeting for participants, where mentors and mentees will receive tips and tools for developing a good mentoring relationship. In March, there will be a remote check-in meeting. In June, everyone is invited to join a final meeting. As a group, we’ll discuss what we’ve learned and also have some fun! In addition to these meetings, the pairs and groups commit to meeting 3–4 times.Note! If you are participating in the mentorship program from outside of the Helsinki metropolitan area, you qualify for travel aid (max. 120 €) according to the least expensive public transportation method. Please note that this does not include HSL tickets.If you have any questions about the mentorship program, please get in touch: sonja@grafia.fi Timeline September 2–22, 2024: Apply to be a mentor October 7–27, 2024: Apply to be a mentee November 26, 2024 from 4–6:30PM: Kick-off meeting (Helsinki) March 13, 2025 from 2–3:30PM: Check-in meeting (remote) June 4, 2025 from 5–8PM: Final meeting (in Helsinki) Applying to be a mentor (September 2–22, 2024) A mentor is a trusted friend, who helps their mentee to grow professionally. The program lasts six months from the end of November to the beginning of summer 2025. Mentors commit to meeting with their mentees 3–4 times. There will be a kick-off meeting (Tuesday, November 26th from 4–6:30PM) where you will be given tips and tools for developing a good mentoring relationship. You do not need to have any prior experience as a mentor, since mentoring is also a learning experience for the mentor. All we ask is that you’re interested in acting as a mentor for another member of Grafia. Mentors will also be paid a small fee. Mentors will be chosen by Grafia and Virpi Haavisto, who will be coaching the mentor/mentee pairs. In making the selections, the mentor’s professional experience and desire to help will be emphasized. The selection criteria will not be published and there will be no feedback provided. Applications will be processed confidentially. Applying to be a mentee (October 7–27, 2024) This year, Grafia’s mentorship program includes 10 mentors. Their introductions can be found here. When applying, mentors have committed to meeting with their mentees 3–4 times. There will be a kick-off meeting (Tuesday, November 26th, 4-6:30PM) for mentor/mentee pairs, where you will be given tips and tools for developing a good mentoring relationship. Mentees commit to producing 1–2 social media posts (or something similar) about the mentorship program. Mentees will be chosen by Grafia and Virpi Haavisto, who will be coaching the mentor/mentee pairs. In making the selections, we will consider the applicant’s motivation to develop as a professional. The selection criteria will not be published and there will be no feedback provided. Applications will be processed confidentially. Applicants will be notified about the final decisions on week 46.