OPRD release – SALEM, Oregon – Heritage organizations around the state are now eligible to apply for free professional technical assistance from the Oregon Heritage MentorCorps program. MentorCorps stems from a pilot program funded through an IMLS grant in the early 2010s. It has since grown into a fully actualized technical assistance program of the Oregon Heritage Commission that supports the “Pursue Best Practices” goal of the 2020-2025 Oregon Heritage Plan. Organizations can expect to work on projects alongside volunteer professionals with backgrounds in museum collections management, curatorship, archives, preservation, heritage interpretation, non-profit management, disaster preparedness and much more. The role of MentorCorps is to assist with projects that are challenging the expertise of the staff at these organizations. This can include guidance in project management or planning, grant reviews, collections assessments, policy development, or simply prioritization of work if folks do not know where to start. Fielding a cadre of mentors with training and experience in the field that are geographically and technically diverse, there are very few projects that MentorCorps cannot assist with in some way. “MentorCorps’ goal is to support organizations in achieving better practices on their way to best practices,” says Cam Amabile, Technical Resources Coordinator for Oregon Heritage. “Our program is meant to serve as a guide to resources, or a stepping stone on the way to a fully implemented plan or action. We aim to be a program that helps, particularly small organizations with limited capacities, meet their mission without being overwhelmed. To do that we pair them with our experienced practitioners as guides, with the added benefit of continuing to hone the mentor’s skills.” This service is offered free to any heritage organization operating within the state of Oregon, but primarily serves museums, libraries, archives, and cultural institutions. Applications open July 3, 2023 and close on August 15, 2023 for the 2023-2024 assistance year. Organizations can reach out to Oregon Heritage Technical Resources Coordinator, Cam Amabile with questions about projects or applications at 971-720-8998 or cam.amabile@oprd.oregon.gov.
