I Survived... EfM Mentor Registration!
Laura Jenkins | mentor, Diocese of Chicago
Laura Jenkins, an alumna of EfM and a new mentor in the Diocese of Chicago, was invited to beta-test the new registration process. She shares her experience and insights with the EfM community. Registration for mentors is scheduled to open July 25, 2023.
If you have middle-grade children in your orbit, you probably caught the reference to the hugely popular series of children’s books about disasters. As a recently retired children’s librarian, I just couldn’t resist. But this is nothing at all like a catastrophic experience.
Though I’m not particularly adventurous, I do like to learn new things, so I was excited to test out the new registration system. I’ve been an EfM participant for ten years, but this will be my first year as a mentor. That means that mentor registration was completely new and foreign to me. I can understand if experienced mentors are leery of trying out yet one more new thing, but I think everyone will find it really straightforward. And, there’s lots of support and feedback available all along the way.
Setting up your account is quite simple with your email address login and a password of your choosing. You’ll get an email confirmation almost immediately.
Because of the way the system is set up for online learning, it will refer to the registration as a course you’re “taking.” It’s called PathWright, and designed to lead you step-by-step though the path to completion.
Click on the link, and away you go!
But wait – before you click, you might want to gather the three documents you’ll need a little ways in if you are going to receive the mentor honorarium.
You will need (preferably in PDF format, though JPEG will work):
A copy of your driver's license
A copy of a voided check from the account into which your stipend will be deposited
A copy of a completed IRS form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number)
There’s a preferred naming protocol for these documents: [First Initial] [Last Name] [Document Type] so you’ll want to save them to your files like this: L. Jenkins Voided Check.
You’ll also want to have completed the conversation with your co-mentor, if you have one, about whether you will split the honorarium.
It was particularly helpful for me that, in good presentation style, the system tells you what you’re going to do, then you do it, then it confirms that you’ve done it. From the beginning, you’ll see what the steps are:
I mentioned opportunities to get help. At each step, there’s a place to submit a question; you can also send an email.
Also, at each step, you’ll click the button when you’ve completed it. And when you’ve completed the whole section, your registration will be reviewed by staff to be sure everything is in order, and you’ll get the go-ahead to start the next section.
Do you have to dig through your files to retrieve your group number? Not anymore. In the new system, your group is named after you (and your co-mentor, if any.). Do you have to check in individually with your group members to find out if they’ve completed their registration? Not anymore. You’ll find a graphic representation on your own group page of which participants have completed their registration.
There’s a lot to like about this new system, and the fact that it’s tailor-made for EfM is great.
Just one more note: I used my iPad to register. You’ll see the recommendation to use a PC rather than a tablet. It is possible to complete it with a tablet if you must, but the interface for some components is a little more challenging.
You’ll survive, too!
