MPS Mentoring Program - Reflections on the 2020-2021 Pilot Program

In October 2020, the world was still reeling from a relatively new virus that majorly impacted daily operations. People were flocking outdoors to places considered "safe" to enjoy, like State Parks. With the major influx of visitors on the Maryland State Park system came an influx of new challenges to tackle by park staff.

At the same time the coronavirus was persevering, a pilot Mentoring Program was introduced in the Maryland Park Service. The program had been in development for several months prior to October of 2020, and was intended to help classified employees improve leadership and career development skills. Despite the enduring challenges throughout the state, many park staff volunteered and 21 were selected to be a part of the pilot Mentoring Program for a 12-month period.

The selected pairs met with their respective mentor/mentee regularly to watch informative, leadership-based videos and discuss the topics. Frequently, the videos turned out to be a starting point to a much larger discussion about the mentee's goals. In between these meetings, mentees were able to contact the mentor as much or as little as needed based on a standard that was set by each pair at the initial program kick-off event. Throughout the year, mentor/mentee pairs contacted a Mentoring Committee representative to check-in and make sure the pair was on track with the mentee's established goals.

Last week, the final meeting of the 2020-2021 MPS Mentoring Program was held. The feedback about the program as a whole was positive, with the highlights for most pairs (both mentor and mentee) including the ability to get to know someone from a different perspective. Mentors and mentees were able to connect across regions and parks to hear and often see what other employees are doing and how different or similar it is to what is done at their own locations. Though there were a few challenges during this initial program, every individual learned and grew from the experience in many ways.

Testimonials from 2020-2021 program participants:

"I'm grateful to have been included in this pilot program and for the meaningful connections that have come from the time we have all spent together. I'm looking forward to participating in the next cycle!"

"I had the pleasure of being a mentee for this round of the MPS Mentoring Program. The Program met my needs and expectations and then some. I have a closer relationship with a person who is an absolutely epic Park Service employee and an even more epic human being. I acquired knowledge and skills that will serve me well during my Park Service career and in life. 10/10 would recommend."

"As a Mentor, I learned a great deal about the thought processes of others, as well as myself.  This knowledge has helped me become a better supervisor and, I feel, helped me better guide my Mentee." 

"I felt that the program was helpful because it allowed me to learn parts of the job I was not as skilled at. It also helped me form a good relationship with another employee that I otherwise would not have had. I think this program can be very helpful, especially for people new to the job."

"I found the program very rewarding from the mentor standpoint.  I enjoyed the free flow of information and ability to connect with someone I probably would never have gotten to know without the program.  I feel I learned more about myself through the interactions with my mentee and it helped us both out along the way."

This program is something that each employee can participate in to help strengthen the ties within our Park Service culture. If you have career-centered goals that you are trying to reach and would like to apply to be a mentee, or if you have experience within the organization and feel that you would be a good mentor for the 2022 MPS Mentoring Program, please click the link below and complete an application! Applications close on November 30, 2021 and pairs will be announced prior to the January 11th kick-off meeting.

2022 MPS Mentoring Program Application