What comes with being a mentor? Your only commitment is to contact your mentee once a month. A text, an email, a call. Any of these will work great. Even if they don’t respond every month, they will when they need advice or encouragement.

If your connection grows into something more than that one contact, all the better, but it’s not required.

Be sure to tune in to our mentor training webinar to gain valuable insight from yearbook experts.

Adviser Mentor Program Goals and Expectations

What we expect from you:

• Make a first contact in August or as soon as you are matched
• Contact your mentee once a month; be available to respond when they contact you
• Use the resources we provide as needed to guide your monthly communication

What you can expect from us:

• Monthly email ideas and resources to use with your mentee
• Support throughout the year from Jim Jordan, Adviser Mentor program ambassador
• Biannual surveys and evaluations to help us improve the program and make it more effective for supporting new advisers

Timeline and Monthly Resources

Follow this general month-by-month timeline and you’ll be able to stay on top of what needs to be done when, and which of our resources will be the most useful. The more you talk with your mentee, the better understanding you will have on what they can use help with. These are just a few resources and ideas to get your started.

Photo by Sami Brown

August

August and early September are all about staff bonding and training. Start with interviewing and caption writing. Consider attending an Elite Weekend.

eBooks and curriculum:

• Mike Taylor’s Back-to-school Checklist for New Advisers
• 12 Essential Yearbook Tips for the New Adviser
• New Advisers Field Guide to Yearbook
• First 30 Days – InDesign
• First 30 Days – Online Design

September

By late September – you should be finalizing your ladder, your theme and your designs. Be sure you understand and love your theme.

eBooks:

• Writing Captions That Will Captivate

Webinars:

• Not Your Mama’s Yearbook

Check out on of our podcasts:

• Ask Mike or Yearbook Chat with Jim

October

Your first deadline is in late October or early November. Get your systems in place to ensure you will make your first deadline.

eBooks:

• 100+ Great Yearbook Photos That Captured Our Attention

Webinars:

• Get Your Yearbook Show on the Road: Making That First Deadline

November

Making deadlines. Increasing the number of pages you have completed and submitted. Evaluate how your production processes are going. Discuss with your editors how successful they are in their leadership roles.

December

Know the number of pages you need to complete and make that number before Winter Break. Review your ladder. Plan carefully what pages can be submitted in January.

eBooks:

• Creative Ideas for Marketing and Selling Your Yearbook

January

Fewer things are happening on campus and it’s often difficult to get back up to speed after the holidays, so use this time to catch up and plan for the big February push. Begin thinking about recruiting for next year.

eBooks:

• Recruiting Yearbook Staffs: Methods to the Madness

Webinars:

• Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: How to Recruit the Best Yearbook Staff of All

February

Photo by Scotty Bowman

Stay on top of all the work that needs to be completed to meet your final deadlines. This is a crucial month.

eBooks:

• Why I Love Yearbook

March

Conquer your final deadline! Celebrate all you have accomplished. Attend the CSPA convention.

eBooks:

• Jim Jordan’s 40 Things to do After the Yearbook is Done

Webinar:

• The Yearbook is Done. Now What?

April

Start preparing for distribution. Select next year’s staff. Attend the Spring JEA/NSPA convention.

eBooks:

• Let’s Have Some Fun. The Book is Done!
• Distribution Day: The Big Reveal

Webinars:

• Yearbook Distribution: Distributing Your Love Letter to the School

May

Distribution Day. Begin training and planning for next year. Register for a summer workshop.

Webinars:

• Why Workshops Work: The Secret to a Successful Yearbook Staff