U.S. Embassy has Launched the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Mentoring Program

U.S. Embassy has launched the pilot edition of the FLEX Mentoring Program. It is a year-long mentoring program aimed at connecting FLEX program alumni with senior alumni of other U.S. Government sponsored exchange programs for a unique professional development opportunity. It is funded by U.S. Embassy Warsaw and carried out with a partnering organization – American Councils for International Education which administers the FLEX exchange in Poland.  

The goal of the FLEX Alumni Mentoring Program is to match FLEX alumni in Poland with senior and more experienced alumni of other exchange programs sponsored by the U.S. Department of State who volunteered to be mentors.  Participating FLEX alumni will for a year develop leadership and project management skills under the guidance from their mentors, who are professionals representing a wide range of specialties ranging from government, NGOs, academia, science, education, business to culture.  The Program is designed to help mentees come up with and implement a community project of their own as well as help in their individual professional development.  The top project ideas developed by mentees and their mentors will be eligible for funding. 

Both mentors and mentees met at the inauguration and training in Warsaw on July 16-17, 2018. There were training sessions for mentees in project management, and for mentors in mentoring. Both groups also worked together on initial planning of a project.