Central Great Lakes Chapter Mentorship Initiative

Hello friends,

The Central Great Lakes chapter is delighted to share news of some exciting mentorship opportunities for our membership! We understand the importance of giving back to our industry by using our expertise to help with the next generation of media professionals.

In the coming weeks, we plan to launch a series of webinar events for our student and professional members to learn more about what it takes to succeed in our industry, and we’re looking for experienced (or retired) professionals who might be willing to share their expertise with our members.

Please email dspehler@emmyonline.tv if you’re interested in participating.

We’ve also been invited to participate in a mentorship initiative with The Catalyst Story Institute – a year-round educational and professional development institute empowering creators to bring their narrative stories to fruition. (Click here to view the Catalyst timeline.)

Through this initiative we’re looking for members who might be willing to volunteer to be connected with a specific mentee. Each mentee has been vetted by The Catalyst Story Institute and will be hand-picked for their mentor based on their experience. It’s a great way to use your talents to help others!

If you are interested in participating in this program, please complete the survey below. We look forward to bringing you more opportunities in the future and thank you for your membership!

Mentorship Registration Link: link to the mentor signup survey

Interested in learning more about Catalyst’s annual festival?

Please go to their website at https://www.catalystories.org/

NATAS Mentors who wish to be Mentors are able to attend at no cost other than hotel accommodations, which are available at a discount.

General attendance to the Storieroad event includes (valued at $399, waived for NATAS mentors):

  • A festival pass
  • A festival submission
  • Access to Catalyst Institute virtual and in-person seminars
  • 2 (1-on-1 meetings) with our creative team
  • Their program listed in Catalyst’s content database

The mentor program is for a few selected creatives who come to Catalyst either via the institute or the festival entry process who are ready to move forward in their professional careers.

As a NATAS mentor in the Catalyst program, you would be asked to:

  • Work with at least 1 mentee each year
  • Meet individually (or virtually) with each mentee at least twice to discuss their career paths & offer creative notes on their current project/productions/shows
  • Offer at least one career training opportunity such as shadowing on a production, working in a studio, connection to a potential job, etc.