About the program
This career development initiative involves one-on-one mentorship matching between planners in various stages of their careers (“Mentees”) and experienced professionals (“Mentors”). The program aims to improve the professional practice of planning by benefiting individual practitioners at all experience levels.
We’re testing a new format this year with quarterly matching that we hope will allow participants to better anticipate their availability. That does mean that we have to limit registration to the first 20 people who sign up. But don’t worry! If you don’t make it into the current quarter’s program, we’ll ask for your preference for an upcoming quarter, and you’ll have a week to sign up before the registration links are posted publicly.
Schedule
- Program Enrollment: November 13th – December 4th, 2026
- Or until sign ups are full
- Matching & Emails Sent: Early January 2027
- 1st Mentor-Mentee Meeting: January/February 2027
- 2nd Mentor-Mentee Meeting: February/March 2027
- Additional Meetings: anytime throughout the year (optional)
- Closing of Formal Program and Feedback Survey: March 2027
Questions
If you have any questions, please contact Maddy Faul and Sarah Wikle, Mentorship Co-Directors at [email protected].
Registration is open!
Mentees: Fill out this form if you are interested in being matched with a mentor. Mentees can be students, early professionals or even mid-career professionals.
Mentors: Fill out this form if you are new to the program, or if you have been a mentor in the past but have some professional updates to share. Mentors can be at any point in their career, but will typically have at least 3 years of work experience.
Guidelines
This opportunity is available to all planning students and professionals. Our goal is to provide adequate structure to facilitate meaningful relationships, while maximizing flexibility to meet the professional interests and schedules of participants. Each Mentor and Mentee pair is welcome to customize the program to meet individual needs.
- Participants engage in one-on-one Mentor and Mentoree matching, which involves a minimum commitment of two meetings from January 2027 to March 2027. And we encourage you to continue meeting beyond the formal program.
- Handouts and e-mail templates will be emailed to participants to facilitate introductions, initiate talking points, and share professional development resources.
Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?
Strength to Love by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Program expectations
Mentors
- Professionals with at least 3 years of work experience in any planning discipline.
- Each Mentor will be assigned one Mentee. If additional Mentors are needed, participants will be individually asked if willing to advise more than one.
- Minimum commitment of 2 meetings with Mentee between January 2027 to March 2027.
- APA membership is not required.
Mentees
- Students and young professionals with less than 3 years of work experience in any planning discipline or mid-career professionals with less than 10-years of experience.
- Minimum commitment of 2 meetings with Mentor between January 2027 to March 2027.
- We hope the smaller program size will guarantee that applicants will receive a Mentor, but there may be instances where we are unable to make a match. Priority matching will be given to second-year graduate students, recent graduates, and mid-career professionals. If you are not matched during the current quarter, we’ll ask for your preference for an upcoming quarter, and you’ll have a week to sign up before the registration links are posted publicly.
- APA membership is required (free for qualified students and discounted rates for qualified new members). You can register to be a Mentee today, but are required to become a member once matched. Please visit the Membership page for additional information.
Materials & handouts
Meeting #1 guidelines
We’re glad you are involved with the Northern Section’s mentorship program, but as you navigate the Planning World know that resources stretch from your local chapter to the national level. Check out National APA’s resources here.
Sample activities
The level of engagement for each of the three Mentor-Mentee meetings can be as simple or involved as time and interest permit. For each meeting, activities may include:
- Joint attendance at a public meeting
- Résumé and portfolio critique
- Mock interview