Investing in Interns: Tasks and Tools for Mentoring Interns through Challenges and Successes at a Small Evaluation Agency

Abstract Information: Over the last five years, one evaluator at CCNY, Inc. (a non-profit evaluation and analytics consulting firm) recruited and mentored 18 interns. These interns represented a mix of genders, races, ages, levels of education, degrees, and careers. They also learned and honed skills to take with them into their careers and made lasting connections with staff and community members. In turn, interns also impacted how the staff and the organization think about mental health in the workplace, how to incorporate restorative and trauma-informed practices into the workplace, and novel ways to increase opportunities for feedback in decision-making processes. During this session, an experienced intern mentor and a former intern, now staff member, will share first-hand stories of what they’ve learned, shared, and changed. Interns sometimes come with a blank slate, offering great challenges and opportunities. Mentors need deliberate patience and excellent communication skills to ensure that an intern understands expectations and that project work is done at a high standard. Multi-dimensional supervision is at the cornerstone of CCNY’s intern mentoring philosophy, which means that regular discussions include not only standard task management and technical learning opportunities but also discussions of relevant topics in the broader world, realm of study, and applications for coursework in the field of evaluation. CCNY further fosters an environment of career-oriented and professional development goals, regardless of the career path that the intern chooses to take. After discussing the successes and challenges that CCNY encountered, the group will participate in a thought-provoking discussion about their experiences in recruiting, project management, and mentoring interns or emerging evaluators. Discussions will engage with all levels of mentorship experience, from those who have mentored many interns before to those who want to start their mentoring journey. Participants in this roundtable will leave the session with an intern interview guide, a templated intern work plan, and a better understanding of how to successfully cultivate an intern culture that mutually benefits both the organization and the intern.