Cultivating Talent: A Mentorship Collective

Cultivating Talent: A Mentorship Collective is a mentorship program focused on supporting employees' personal and professional growth, and development. The program is based on a collaborative, peer-based mentorship model that focuses on mutual mentorship. This model understands mentorship as the mutual reciprocity of being mentored and mentoring. When peer or near-peer colleagues come together, they have an opportunity to reflect, co-develop, share knowledge, and explore in an atmosphere of trust, collaboration, and cooperation.

The Cultivating Talent: A Mentorship Collective program is a five-day intensive cohort-based experience. In this multi-day development experience, a cohort of employees will begin a journey of self-reflection, community building and personal and professional development. During the five-day intensive, participants will be given the tools, resources to support their development and have access to a diverse network of leaders and peers. By the end of the program, participants will develop a personal and professional development plan that will support them as they continue to learn, grow, and develop in their careers at the University of Waterloo.

Read how the fall 2023 offering of this program empowered growth for Waterloo staff.

Winter 2025 Offering:

The Cultivating Talent: A Mentorship Collective program is specifically designed for employees who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or Racialized. The focus on Black, Indigenous and other Racialized employees is a direct response to PART recommendations 56 and 57 geared towards embedding anti-racism into mentorship and employment advancement opportunities at the University of Waterloo.

Program Dates:

Wednesday, February 19, 2025 – Tuesday, February 25, 2025

The program aims to: 

  • Cultivate relationships across the University of Waterloo by promoting life-long learning through personal and professional development 

  • Facilitate opportunities to network with University of Waterloo employees representing all levels of the institution 

  • Support employee personal and professional development as they look to enhance and advance in their careers 

  • Develop collaborative cross departmental relationships that supports employees feeling engaged, curious and a sense of belonging 

Information Session

An information session was held on Monday, November 4, 2024, to share program details, feature participant experiences from the pilot, and answer questions. You can view this recording by logging into the OHD resource site with your WatIAM credentials.

Application Information

Applications for this program will be available from November 1 - December 6, 2024.


Questions about this development opportunity can be directed to Alannah Robinson, Organizational Development Specialist - Consulting.