Below is a checklist of action items to help make your SPAR experience successful. Feel free to duplicate this page to your own workspace so you can check items off as you go.
For feedback on the checklist or the program, or problems with your mentor you'd like to raise directly, email [email protected] or Slack a member of the SPAR team. You can also use our anonymous feedback form.
See Program timeline and key dates for key SPAR dates.
By September 15
- [ ] Complete the mentee registration form by Friday 11 September (end of day, anywhere on earth), using the personal link in your acceptance email. It confirms your spot, includes reading and signing the SPAR Mentee Agreement, and sets up your profile for the mentee directory and coffee chats.
- [ ] Join the SPAR mentee kickoff on Sunday 13 September, 9:00 to 10:15am Pacific (see it in your time zone), on Zoom. We'll share the link on Slack and by email. If you can't make it live, watch the recording (we link it from the mentee guide afterwards).
- [ ] Join the SPAR Slack. We'll send an invite to your registered email after you submit the registration form, and we add everyone to the round's channels in the days after they join. If you haven't received an invite a few days after registering, email [email protected].
- [ ] Check that you're in
#fa26-mentees and #fa26-everyone, or DM Antonia to be added
- [ ] Check that you're in your project's requests channel (named
requests- followed by your mentor's name). It's a private channel shared by your project team and the SPAR team, and the fastest way to ask us anything during the round.
- [ ] Check that you're in a private channel for your project; if not, DM your mentor to ask what their preferred communication channel is
- [ ] If your mentor hasn't reached out to you by September 14, try messaging them about their first meeting availability, primary method of communication, or anything they might need from you (e.g. GitHub access, readings, expectations). Email template: Reaching out to your mentor
- If your mentor doesn't respond for more than three days, email [email protected] and we'll reach out to them in a more official capacity.
- [ ] Read through the whole SPAR Mentee Guide (Fall ‘26)
- [ ] Add the SPAR Fall 2026 calendar to your Google Calendar so key dates and events show up automatically
By end of September
- [ ] If you don't have a recurring group meeting set up with your mentor by one week into your project, try to set one up! Template: [Make a Copy] Team Meeting Notes
- [ ] Set a cadence for weekly or biweekly 1-1 meetings with your mentor, if your mentor is doing these. If your mentor doesn't have a preference for how to take notes, you can use this [Make a Copy] 1-1 Check-in Template
- [ ] If your mentor shared a research project plan with you, give substantive feedback on it. Historically, under-planning is one of the most common ways projects get off track, so we strongly recommend taking the time to engage thoughtfully here.
- [ ] If your mentor didn't share a plan, you may still benefit from making a simple version outlining your own personal SPAR/project goals. Template (kindly shared by Michael Aird at Longview Philanthropy, formerly RAND; feel free to pare it down): [Make a Copy] Research Project Planning Template
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