Diversifying economics, part four: Mentorship program development considerations

1. Group-based model: In a group-based model, students meet mentors at every stage of the pipeline, from high school to doctoral students, with a focus on students learning from each other and working as a team. 
2. Speaker series & action steps: Within their mentorship groups, students attend a speaker series and discuss topics including professional development, current economics research, and social justice causes. After each speaker, mentorship groups develop action steps that they work toward as a group, which range from social justice initiatives to professional development goals. 
3. Valuing the time of mentors & mentees: Upon completion of the action step, each student is given a gift card, which are available thanks to funding from the Women's Foundation of Minnesota. This gift card serves as both an incentive and an indication that MCDE values the time and effort of both mentors and mentees.

“I feel more confident in myself as a mentor and am ready to dedicate myself to mentorship in the long term and to seek out opportunities to empower others in the ways that others have empowered me.”

“C-FEM has made me realize how much I can positively influence other women and how much they do look up to me. It has also given me a new mentor!” 

1. Low barrier-to-entry: RIC has a low barrier-to-entry process, which does not include a set list of criteria (since these can be biased). Instead, the process considers every student holistically and reviews various application components, including personal statements, need, and interest in the program, to center mentees and ensure they have the best experience.  
2. Mentorship activities: Prospective PhD students are matched with established mentors, who are generally economists and quantitative social scientists, in a one-on-one, eight-month mentorship program. During this time, the mentees have a chance to work together with their mentor on an independent research project of their choosing and also receive: 
   - Targeted career advice
   - One-on-one office hours with members of the RIC leadership team
   - Access to RIC’s internal buddy system
   - Access to a vast network of high-level economists
   - Access to ad hoc workshops for mentees
   - Individual mentor trainings, quantitative skills-building workshops, and writing workshops
   - Direct adverts for Research Assistant and Pre-Doctoral positions
   - Internships available upon completion of the mentorship program
   - Mentor support for graduate school applications
   - A $1,000 scholarship that can be used during the graduate school application process 
3. Focus on mentees’ needs: This program uses a bottom-up approach to mentorship by centering the mentee throughout the entire process and focusing on providing mentees with a community. This is not often the case with research assistant and pre-doctoral positions, or other existing mentorship programs. To create a safe and supportive environment where mentees feel that they can be themselves, mentors are asked to shift their mentalities to acknowledge the power differential, positionality, and the importance of lived experience. Mentees’ backgrounds are not seen as obstacles; rather, they are experiential assets and the reasons why mentees will be successful. 
4. Mentorship as a skill: This program believes the point of mentorship is for mentors to provide mentees with the resources and training they have access to, and that even great mentors can improve this skill over time: “If you actually practice it, think about what you are doing, go in with the intention to be better and do better, and continuously work at it, you can be a great mentor.” -Chinemelu Okafor, Founder and President of RIC

"My time at RIC has been TRANSFORMATIVE. In less than two months, I've learned to use Latex, connected with senior economists at the World Bank and Institute for Fiscal Studies, leveled up my research skills through J-PAL sessions and learned how to design an RCT!  From personalized mentorship to iterative support for competitive job applications, RIC has empowered me to ask inquisitive questions, claim my strengths, and remain a curious learner. All the doors that RIC is opening for me, I hope to keep open for more underrepresented yet courageous young economists/professionals!” - Daniela Maquera Sardon

“After only a few weeks of working with my mentor, I realize that my interest in economics is growing rapidly.
Between discussions and exchanges with other mentees in the buddy system, participating in panels co-hosted with J-PAL and the World Bank, and fruitful exchanges with mentors dedicated to guiding us, our understanding of economics keeps growing.
Happy to be part of this cohort!” - Doulo Sow

1. Transparent eligibility requirements: Students are eligible only if they have completed Howard University's American Economics Association Summer Training Program (AEASP) and indicate an interest in pursuing a doctoral degree in economics. 
2. IPOD's unique structure: Mentees are eligible for support for up to three years. Each IPOD group (or "pod") consists of four to six mentees with two economics PhDs who serve as mentors. The mentors are a mix of academic economists and economists working in industry, such as Amazon. All IPOD participants must complete a needs assessment at the beginning of the program, which is used to tailor training and guide each mentee's professional development. Additionally, mentors complete a needs assessment that is utilized for training and to invite the mentors to lead professional development workshops. 
3. Flexibility & autonomy: Mentees in the IPOD Program have access to: 
   - Up to $1,000/year for professional development
   - GRE Prep
   - Reimbursement of graduate school application fees up to $500
   - Reimbursement of math courses to prepare for the doctorate in economics
   - Reimbursement for math textbooks and other reference materials
   - Membership to the National Economics Association, American Society of Hispanic  Economists, and eligibility for reimbursement of their membership to the American Economic Association
   - Research assistantships with WISER or summer support to work with other PhD economists
4.  Focus on developing the whole person: The IPOD program aims to build authentic connections between mentees and mentors and ensure each mentee succeeds in their professional career and personal life. Therefore, IPOD emphasizes fit over rank, encourages mentees to consider the type of programs that align with their research interest, and offers a supportive environment.
    

“Nobody gets ready for a PhD in Economics in a matter of months. It’s definitely reassuring to know that I will continue to have a support network regardless of what happens during this application cycle."

“The opportunity to be mentored by a senior economist for the next three years will be an invaluable asset in choosing the best program to help me reach both my academic and professional goals.”