WISE Within

The Houston WISE chapter is proud to support WISE Within, the national signature program of WISE. WISE Within is a mentoring program with a proven track record of providing valuable career resources. The relationships formed in this program create a unique opportunity to accelerate professional development by connecting women through facilitated group sessions, personal one-to-one mentoring and national online resources.

WISE Within Mentoring Program

The WISE Within application process launches each February. Once the application window has closed, the WISE Within Committee spends several weeks reviewing submissions, conducting interviews and looking for perfect mentor/mentee matches. The mentoring program officially kicks off in April with the introduction of matches at our annual WISE Within kickoff event. As a program participant, members agree to meet at least once every four weeks (either by phone or in person). They are also invited to a mid-program event hosted by WISE that could be a happy hour, volunteer effort or some other group activity. The program concludes in October with a celebratory event for all participants.

Our 2019 program kicked off on April 28th with an outing at the Hatchet Rachet. Our pairings were announced and the program officially kicked off. It was a great evening of fellowship and fun! View our photo gallery.

On September 10th, our group participated in an evening of mentoring with the girls at the Boys & Girls Club. WISE Within mentors and mentees, along with several committee members, spent a thoughtful evening with 20+ teens as volunteers for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston (BGCGH) SMART Girls program. This program provides Houston area youth with opportunities to discuss and develop knowledge and skills to better prepare girls for bright futures. After a short introduction/ice breaker, WISE members led breakout discussions about self-esteem, healthy relationships and appropriate decision making. The small groups provide WISE members the chance to learn and reflect while building relationships with the youth and other members in attendance. To wrap things up, the BGCGH Director of Programs lead a popcorn-style review to share highlights from the night. After applause, hugs and snacks were finished, the night concluded. We sincerely hope our WISE Within members impacted these teens as positively as they impacted us. View our photo gallery.

On November 4th, our program will conclude with a celebration dinner at The Aquarium.

Your WISE membership includes access to career resources available on www.wiseworks.org/resources/career.

Peer Mentor Groups

Peer Mentor Group meetings are a valuable career resource for WISE members and are held on the first Wednesday of every month from May – October prior to our Member Meet-Ups. Each meeting has a featured mentor who is a leader in their field with experience and knowledge who can provide great insight on various topics of discussion. These Peer Mentor Group meetings provide a unique opportunity for members to:

Ask questions in an intimate small group setting
Receive professional development tools and guidance from mentors and peers
Network/connect with industry veterans

The schedule of topics for 2020 is coming soon. Preregistration is not required to attend but appreciated. Please email us at wisewithin@wisehou.org for more information.

Date Topic Targeted Invitees
TBD Coming Soon

Important Dates for WISE Within

January: Speed Mentoring Roundtable – Get a taste of what WISE Within is all about at the annual Speed Mentoring Roundtable event. Members have the opportunity to meet leaders from our industry and receive insight and advice on topics such as work/life balance, asking for a raise and networking. Click here for our 2019 event recap.

February: WISE Within application process launches. Make sure your membership is renewed and submit your application to be a mentor or mentee. The WISE Within Committee will strive to make mentor/mentee pairings that have a minimum of 8 years-experience separation. Mentors must have at least 15 years professional experience. In order to ensure the program reaches as many members as possible, members are only allowed to participate as a mentee one time.

April: WISE Within kickoff event – If you’re selected as a mentor or mentee, you will be invited to meet your match at the annual program kickoff event.

May: Peer Mentor Groups begin – This monthly meetup, hosted prior to the Wednesday monthly happy hour, is an intimate roundtable discussion lead by a WISE Houston Featured Mentor. The meetups are open to all members, but each session is uniquely targeted to a segment of our membership.

June-August: WISE Within mid-program event – Program participants will gather together for a happy hour, volunteer effort or a group activity to share how their WISE Within experience is going.

October: WISE Within program celebration – At the conclusion of the six-month program, participants will gather to celebrate their successful mentor/mentee experience.