WHY VIRTUAL MENTORSHIP?
The field of rail preservation requires conversations where knowledge is exchanged (person-to-person, mentor to mentee, etc), but all too often these exchanges aren’t documented. When people either pass away or move on from the field, whatever knowledge they have is all too often taken with them. Virtual mentorship provides a means of clearly highlighting and documenting these exchanges of knowledge in an open and sustainable manner. Topics can include everything from preventative maintenance to car hosting to advertising. If it intersects with railroad preservation, we will cover it.
All virtual mentorship sessions are attended by a member of Next Generation Railroaders to ensure comfort, troubleshooting of technology, moderation of the topic at hand, etc.
OUR GOALS:
Document expert knowledge
Bridge geographical boundaries
Emphasize topical discussion
Facilitate employee and volunteer recruitment
Virtual Mentor Deep Dives are webinar sessions and blog posts open to the general public.
During a webinar, a mentor provides a 45-minute presentation on a specific topic pertaining to rail preservation. The remaining time is open to questions submitted by the viewers. The webinar moderator will be on hand to ensure that the technical elements of the presentation are working and to select questions from the audience.
In a blog post, we will present interviews with mentors. Often, this format will be used to introduce a large scale topic, which will be revisited in greater depth in future webinars!
VIRTUAL MENTOR DEEP DIVES
Network with your peers and mentors from across North America and beyond. Join us in this virtual coffee hour to chat with folks about the railroad industry and rail preservation!
Stay tuned for the launch of this programming by signing up for our newsletter!