Become a Mentee

Advance your career in Ottawa’s culture and heritage sectors! Create links with other emerging cultural professionals and experienced senior managers.

This program is presented by the Capital Heritage Connexion with support from the Ottawa Community Foundation.

  • The Capital Heritage Mentorship Program will connect experienced senior managers in the broader culture sector and the heritage sector, with new graduates wishing to embark on a career in heritage, and emerging professionals who wish to move their career to the next level.

    The initiative will invite 8 developing professionals to participate in small groups (2 Mentees and 1 lead Mentor) in a strategic program to help transition and plan for the coming years.  As a Mentee, you will receive valuable feedback, guidance and access to networking opportunities, leading to more confidence and an expanded career network.

    This year 6 of our mentees will attend the National Trust Conference in Montreal! The conference is Canada’s largest Heritage learning and networking event and a brilliant opportunity to meet the pioneers working in the field!

    The focus will be on

    • Career development:  creating and setting personal career goals with next steps;
    • Networking:  how to effectively create and build on professional connections; and
    • Leadership:  developing the required skills and knowledge to become a leader in Ottawa’s heritage sector

    The program will kick off with a meet and greet session where you will meet your Mentor and fellow Mentees.  Throughout the 5 months of the program, you will be encouraged to be proactive in your mentoring relationship – sharing experiences and gaining insights into working within the heritage sector.

    Groups will be sent a bi-monthly email with a list of opportunities including networking and employment opportunities; events and activities; and articles of interest.  We will reach out regularly to touch base on your progress.

    The final wrap-up session will bring people back together to discuss lessons learned and strategies that Mentees should use to work most effectively in the culture and heritage sectors.  A forum engaging future program participants is also planned.

    There are two streams within the program: 

    • Mentorship 
    • Mentorship + Fall Internship
  • Stream 1:  Mentorship

    • You will have the opportunity to work with a Mentor and receive guidance, support and leadership as you develop your career in heritage and/or the broader cultural sector.
    • Together, you will create a plan of action and determine how frequently you would like to connect with one another.  In addition, there may be monthly program/larger group meetings and mini workshops that will focus on career development and networking.
    • Each Mentee is allocated $100 for eligible program expenses (printing fees, travel to sites, conference or networking event fees, parking at related sites, and materials), which is contingent upon completion of the program.
    • Minimum time commitment:  2.5 hours per month

    Stream 2:  Mentorship + Fall Internship

    • You will have the opportunity to work with a Mentor/Intern host and receive guidance, support and leadership as you develop your career in heritage and/or the broader cultural sector.
    • Together, you will create a plan of action and determine how frequently you would like to connect with one another.  In addition, there may be monthly program/larger group meetings and mini workshops that will focus on career development and networking.
    • You will have the opportunity to acquire valuable work experience and skills.
    • Positions may last up to 2 months, to be determined by the host organization.
    • Each intern will receive up to $6930 for their work, which is contingent upon completion of the internship and a satisfactory review from the host organization.
    • Minimum time commitment for internship:  17.5 hours per week for the duration of the fall internship, and 2.5 hours per month for program activities.
    • More information on the internship options will be provided as projects are confirmed. Please see Mentor information below for internships details.

     

  • Applicants must:

    • Be within the first 10 years of their professional career
    • Have completed their education or will graduate from a post-secondary institution*
    • Be a CHC Member in good standing (you can apply or renew your membership here)
    • Be unemployed or underemployed (internship stream only)
    • Be willing to commit to the full duration of the work term (internship stream only)

    *Alternatively, if you do not have a degree and are not in the process of pursuing one, Capital Heritage Connexion is open to discussing how you have gained the equivalent skills outside of the formal education environment to be successful in this mentorship program. 

    Applicants are ineligible if they:

    • Are considered a mid-career or an established professional (10+ years of professional career)
    • Have another full-time job (over 30 hours a week) during the work assignment (internship stream only)

    Note:  Priority will be given to students who have not previously participated in a summer or fall work experience program.

  • August- September:  Application & Selection Process

    Mid October: Capital Heritage Mentorship Program Kickoff Meeting. Mentor-Mentee meet & greet.

    12-16 November: National Trust Conference

    October- February:  Monthly check-ins with progress reports; Scheduled program meetings and mini workshops

    Mid March:  Capital Heritage Mentorship Program Forum. The final wrap-up session will bring everyone back together so Mentees and Mentors can share their successes.  The focus will be on findings – lessons learned and strategies for Mentees to get started in the culture and heritage sectors.

  • Michael Rikley-Lancaster (He/Him)
    Executive Director/ Curator,
    Mississippi Valley Textile Museum

    Born and raised in Chatham, Ontario, Michael has been the Executive Director/Curator (ED/C) of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) since July 1, 2007. He studied for a diploma in Fine Arts at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, before receiving a diploma in Applied Museum Studies from Algonquin College, Ottawa. He was employed as Assistant Curator at the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum, and then as Program Coordinator for Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations with the Canadian Museums Association.

    Serving as ED/C, Michael has been pivotal in making the building fully accessible, acquiring a heating and cooling system, and increasing the Museum’s partnerships within Mississippi Mills and the surrounding areas. He has overseen the creation of two permanent exhibits at the Museum about industrial wool processing, an oral history project preserving the experiences of local mill workers, the Millworkers’ Staircase and Riverwalk, and countless temporary exhibits that work to provide forums for contemporary issues.

    Paving the way for safe museum spaces, Michael has empowered the MVTM to become Canada’s first Rainbow Registered museum, and strives to create a more diverse and inclusive heritage sector. With this goal in mind, Michael is involved in several local Town committees and the Ontario Museum Association’s Executive Council.

    Internship Overview: 

    The Mississippi Valley Textile Museum (MVTM) is offering an internship opportunity to work with our collections. We have a well-rounded collection of textiles, machinery, objects, and archives pertaining to the woolen industry of the Mississippi Valley. This collection has a backlog of objects to be accessioned, deaccessioned, and enriched, which provides an opportunity for an intern to gain hands-on experience with best practices for object handling, processing, cataloging, and storing for a range of materials. The intern will learn how to use CatalogIt, a collections management system, accession objects, and how to evaluate objects for deaccessioning. This is a comprehensive experience with our collections under the guidance of our Executive Director/Curator, who will work with the intern directly, help them network, and introduce them to museum and heritage opportunities in the Ottawa Valley.

     

    Stefan Grambart
    Manager, Museum Technology
    Ingenium, Canada’s Museum of Science and Innovation

    As an award-winning creative with over twenty years of combined experience across film & television entertainment, games, and digital media, Stefan has worked on a wide range of interactive projects focusing on art, narrative, and game design. He is passionate about developing story-based intellectual properties, art directing beautiful projects, and building out immersive and engaging story-worlds.

    As creative lead on FOX’s Sleepy Hollow VR experience, Stefan’s pioneering work contributed to the first-ever Emmy® award for a virtual reality project (Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Media -User Experience and Visual Design). Sleepy was an early leap forward for VR storytelling which was the first to combine live-action footage within CG environments. Many of the storytelling techniques that were developed during that project (such as 360º storyboards) have become standards for VR filmmakers.

    Over the past ten years, Stefan has led many additional award-winning projects for international clients and partners. As an acclaimed lecturer and panelist, Stefan has also taught digital media at Toronto Metropolitan University, and presented at pertinent conferences across the globe.

    His work has focused on immersive storytelling, user experience, and experience design at the intersection of emerging technology and location-based entertainment. His continued goal is to champion narratives that are grounded in human emotion and enhance through (not replaced by) advances in digital media.

     

    Dr. Rodney Nelson, C.Dir., PAED, CAPA
    Professor, Carleton University
    Sprott School of Business, International Business

    Rodney is a professor at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business and the current CEO and Principal of Governance for the Global Governance Group. An anthropologist with over 30 years’ experience, he has enjoyed working with both the public and private sectors including many Indigenous organizations and communities. He is an advocate for sustainable economic development projects worldwide and is passionate about cultural diplomacy, ethics, risk management, entrepreneurship, and corporate governance.

    Rodney has served on many boards, including the Museum of History, War Museum and Scouts Canada. He was also past  member of the Indigenous Culture and Media Technologies (ICMI), past chair of FirstPlan Pension and Benefits, past chair for AFOA Canada (formerly Aboriginal Financial Officers Association), past co-chair of the Canada Dance Festival, chair of the Council on Corporate Aboriginal Relations, lead of the National Pandemic Preparedness Working Group and the chair of the Public Enterprise Governance Centre.

    Rodney holds a PhD (Carleton/ Trent) and a Master’s degree in anthropology and two Bachelor degrees in psychology and anthropology. He is a chartered Director from the Degroote School of Business, Certified Aboriginal Professional Administrator (CAPA), and a Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer (PAED). Rodney lives in Ottawa, Canada with his wife and two children.

     

    Jennifer Ford
    Creative Development Specialist
    Canadian Museum of History and Canadian War Museum

    Jennifer is an interpretive planner at two of Canada’s national museums, where she develops creative exhibitions that tell great stories. With over a decade working in heritage interpretation, Jennifer brings a wealth of knowledge about how museums engage diverse audiences, and the skills needed to help create these experiences. In addition to exhibitions, her work has included projects with immersive projection, virtual reality, video productions, digital interactives, and public programming.

    Originally from Winnipeg, she holds a Bachelor of Journalism and History from Carleton University (2012) and a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto (2016). Before her current role, she worked in interpretive planning and management at the Library of Parliament, the Royal Ontario Museum, and Parks Canada. Jennifer sees museums as places of connection and provocation, where creative interpretation is key to initiating meaningful dialogue with audiences.

Applications to be a Mentee/Intern are now open!

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

For the application process, Mentees will be asked to answer one of the following questions :

  1. What does Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging mean to you in the heritage space?
  2. Pick a heritage space you know and tell us how you’d make it more accessible
  3. What are your thoughts on the long term impact of Gentrification in urban communities?
  4. How has climate change impacted a heritage space you know?

Heritage spaces can be physical, intangible or digital

You can choose to respond by producing a short video, writing a poem, producing a work of art or writing a short essay of approximately 300-500 words, etc. We want you to show us your creativity!

We encourage you to do research to identify current trends.  A few sources you may want to consult are UNESCO, ICCROM and  the American Alliance of Museums’s TrendsWatch.  You could also consider consulting your local, regional and national news sources.

 

In addition to the above creative component please also send the following materials:`

  1. Resume
  2. Letter of Intent, maximum 2 pages

* NOTE:  We cannot guarantee that you will be working with your preferred Mentor.  We will try to match groups accordingly. 

We welcome applications from First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons; members of racialized communities, and LGBTQ-identified persons.  We also welcome applications from disability-identified persons.

Applications are now closed!