Online Mentoring Platform for Developing Leaders of Character

Abstract

Leadership is a variable and complex task that requires many skills along with opportunities to hone those skills. The development of future leaders among current college students includes its own complexities, but these complexities are increased in depth and breadth when the college is also a military academy, shaping men and women who will be commissioned as officers and expected to lead upon graduation. In partnership with the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA), our team developed and tested a platform to support leader and character development through mentoring relationships. The platform, known as Advance, provided tools to support reflection, action planning, leadership portfolios, and non-academic training opportunities. Our project included an iterative development model that involved multiple rounds of testing with Air Force officers, USAFA faculty, and cadets. Through this approach we were able to refine the model, improve the mentoring process, and implement the platform.