The National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) is pleased to announce the launch of an inaugural Pilot Mentoring Program for New Chaplains. The program, announced in June 2016, brings together ten new and ten experienced Episcopal school chaplains to work together throughout the 2016-2017 school year. Chaplains entering their first or second year of Episcopal school ministry were invited to apply. The program is fully subscribed.
The cohort of new chaplains is a diverse blend of both lay and ordained chaplains across the grades K-12 span. They serve in parish and independent Episcopal schools across the United States and bring a range of rich experiences to their new roles as Episcopal school chaplains, including parish ministry, classroom teaching, Christian education, military chaplaincy, and diocesan leadership.
A group of experienced Episcopal school chaplain mentors from a variety of sizes and types of Episcopal schools has allowed individualized matches for each mentee based on personal background and experience, school type, and grade level.
The Pilot Mentoring Program for New Chaplains is grounded in best practices for professional mentoring programs, with particular attention to cultivating effective mentor-mentee relationships in the context of personal faith, spiritual practice, and vocational calling as school chaplain. Mentors and mentees will meet virtually each month and gather in person at the NAES Biennial Conference 2016, November 9-11 in New Orleans for fellowship and professional networking. This preliminary cohort will also offer suggestions and feedback to NAES about what works best to shape an ongoing mentoring program.
NAES is deeply grateful to the experienced chaplains whose insights helped to shape the content and structure of the program, to the heads of school that are supporting the participation of their mentor and mentee chaplains, and to all of the program’s participants.
Stay tuned for updates about the program along with information about how you or your school could participate as the program takes shape for the future.
Questions? Email Ann Mellow, Associate Director.