Wisconsin Mentoring Project Opportunities/Paid Positions

On behalf of the Wisconsin Mentoring Program (WMP) I am pleased to announce that we will again be recruiting mentors to join our exciting program as we work towards our goal of providing mentoring services to recent graduates of Interpreter Education Programs, working WITA verified interpreters and deaf interpreters aspiring to become nationally certified through RID.

Attached within the marketing materials is a description of the program as well as the requirements to be considered. Please share this information with your colleagues and those whom you feel would be a valuable asset to the program and in turn interpreters of the state of Wisconsin. The application and all of the materials are due back no later than March 5, so please help us spread the word. If you have any questions please feel free to contact the Wisconsin Mentoring Program staff.

Amber Mullett
Sign Language Interpreter
Office for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing

1 W. Wilson St. Rm 451
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 261-7823 (Voice)
Amber.Mullett@wisconsin.gov

Wisconsin Mentoring Program

Mentor Application 
 
 

Personal Information 
 

Name: ________________________________________________ Date: _________  
 

      Please check: _____ Hearing _____ Deaf    ____ Hard of Hearing  
 

Street Address: ________________________________________________________  
 

City: ________________________________ State: ______   Zip: _______________     
 

Home phone: _________________________     Work phone: ___________________  

Email: _________________________________   Gender:  Male    Female

Education 
 

Interpreter Training Program attended (if any): _______________________________  
 

Bachelor’s Degree obtained (area of study): __________________________________   
 
 

Credentials (include level, if applicable) 
 

ASLTA ______, EIPA ______, RID or NIC _______, NAD _______, ASLPI ___________  
 
 

Professional Membership (include proof of membership) 
 

RID _____, WisRID ______, NAD ______, ASLTA _____, WAD ______ Other________  
 

Employment History  
 

Please provide employment information for the past five years, with most recent position held first. If more space is needed use an extra sheet of paper.  
 

Employer: ______________________________________________________________ 
 

City: ________________________ State: ______   Phone: _______________________ 
 

Supervisor’s Name: ______________________________ Title: ___________________  
 

Dates Employed: ____ to ____ (m/year) Position Held: _______________________ 
 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 

Employer: ______________________________________________________________ 
 

City: ________________________ State: ______ Phone: _______________________ 
 

Supervisor’s Name: ______________________________ Title: ___________________  
 

Dates Employed: ____ to ____ (m/year) Position Held: _______________________

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 

Employer: ______________________________________________________________ 
 

City: ________________________ State: ______   Phone: ______________________ 
 

Supervisor’s Name: ______________________________ Title: ___________________  
 

Dates Employed: ____ to ____ (m/year) Position Held: _______________________ 
 
 

Application Questions

Please answer all of the following questions as completely as possible.  
 

1. Provide some background about how you entered the profession of interpreting; deaf family member, peers, language lover, etc……

2. Where are you currently working and provide some detail about your current role and responsibilities. What are the benefits and rewards of your work? What are some of the challenges/opportunities?

3. Share what drives you as a professional/up-and-coming interpreter?  What is your interpreter philosophy?

4. Describe why you want to be a mentor?  What qualities, skills and other attributes you have would benefit the WMP? 

5. What experience do you currently have as a mentor? 

6. What training have you attended, if any, to further your skills as a mentor?

7. What is your availability for the mentorship program?  Weekly? Once a month? Face to Face contact? Use of Technology – Email, Webcam etc… Or combination of both?

8. Describe how you balance your personal and professional life?  How often do you interact and/or volunteer in the Deaf community?

9. How would you describe yourself as a person?

10. How would your family and friends describe you as a person?

Please read this carefully before signing:

Wisconsin Mentoring Program appreciates your interest in becoming a mentor.  
 

Please initial each of the following: 
 

_______ I agree to follow all mentoring program guidelines and understand that any violation will result in suspension and/or termination of the mentoring relationship. 
 

_______ I understand that Wisconsin Mentoring Program is not obligated to provide a reason for their decision in accepting or rejecting me as a mentor. 
 

_______ I understand that my attendance at all required training is crucial to the program, and I am able to commit my attendance.

_______ I authorize Wisconsin to obtain any needed information regarding my character references through my employer and/or personal references for the purposes of participating in a mentoring program. 

_______ Further, I understand that information about me and my participation in the program will be held in confidential files within the Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing. 

_______ (optional) I agree to allow Wisconsin Mentoring Program to use any photographic image of me taken while participating in the mentoring program. These images may be used in promotions or other related marketing materials.  
 

I understand I must return this application and the Personal Reference Form, otherwise my application will not be considered. 
 

By signing below, I attest to the truthfulness of all information listed on this application and agree to all the above terms and conditions.  
 

_________________________________________________ ________________

Signature          Date                                                 

Please mail or fax this application and personal references to:

Office for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, ATTN: Wisconsin Mentoring Program

P.O. Box 7851, 1 W. Wilson Street, Room 451

Madison, WI 53707-7851.

Fax:  (608) 264-9899

Applications Due:  March 5, 2010

                        Wisconsin Mentoring Program 
 
 

Personal References 
 

Please list the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three people you would like to use as character references (only people you have known for at least a year). Include at least one deaf person.  Any information Wisconsin Mentoring Program gathers from these references will be held as confidential and not released to you, the applicant.  
 
 

Deaf Person’s Name: _____________________________________________________ 
 

Address: ______________________________________________________________ 
 

City: ________________________    State: ________________   Zip: _________ 
 

Phone: ___________________________ Email: ______________________________ 
 

Relationship: _______________________     How long known: ___________________ 
 
 
 

Name: ________________________________________________________________ 
 

Address: ______________________________________________________________ 
 

City: ________________________    State: ________________   Zip: _________ 
 

Phone: ___________________________ Email: ______________________________ 
 

Relationship: _______________________     How long known: ___________________ 
 
 
 

Name: ________________________________________________________________ 
 

Address: ______________________________________________________________ 
 

City: ________________________    State: ________________   Zip: _________ 
 

Phone: ___________________________ Email: ______________________________ 
 

Relationship: _______________________     How long known: ___________________ 
 

Background and Recruitment

Wisconsin Mentoring Program

Applications Due

Applications are due to WMP Program Staff no later than March 5, 2010

M 

                               Mark Your Calendars  First Mentor Training:

April 23-25, 2010ientation

August 21, 2010

Mentor Refresher Training

December 4, 2010

Mentor/Mentee Closure

MFor More Information

For more information please contact:

Amber Mullett

Amber.Mullett@wisconsin.gov

608-261-7823

Karen Dishno

Karen.Dishno@wisconsin.gov

608-234-4709

Currently, interpreters are encouraged to take the Wisconsin Interpreting and Transliterating Assessment (WITA) to obtain a score of 2:2 or higher which opens minimal opportunities for employment in Wisconsin.  Through the years, an increased expectation requiring national certification by deaf, hard of hearing and hearing consumers has resulted in a readiness to work gap for those WITA verified interpreters.  As a means to decrease this gap, the Wisconsin Mentoring Program (WMP) envisions a community where sign language interpreters aspiring to attain national certification have access to the appropriate mentoring and training to achieve their professional goals with the purpose of expanding the pool of qualified interpreters in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Mentoring Program (WMP) will offer 30 hours of mentoring by qualified mentors within a six (6) month period for interpreters working in adult community based settings. The mentors will work with the mentees to create an Individual Action Plan (IAP) including goals and strategies for supporting the growth of the identified areas of need for skill development in alignment with the knowledge/skills needed to take the RID National Interpreter Certification Exam. The mission of the Wisconsin Mentoring Program (WMP) is to empower sign language interpreters in our community to make professional choices that enable them to maximize their potential toward becoming a nationally certified interpreter in Wisconsin.

Seeking Mentors…The Wisconsin Mentoring Program (WMP) is seeking deaf adults and nationally certified sign language interpreters to participate in this exciting program.  The time commitment will require attendance at two mentorship trainings (scheduled for April 23 – 25 & June 25 – 27, 2010), a mentorship refresher training (scheduled for December 4, 2010), provide mentoring services of 5 hours per month for a period of 6 months (October 2010 to March 2011) and attend the Closure Meeting (scheduled for March 27, 2011).  Those interested must meet the qualification requirements and successfully complete the mentorship training before being hired to provide the mentoring service to a mentee.  Mentors will be paid a stipend for the mentoring services provided through the Wisconsin Mentoring Program (WMP).