GeoLatinas Mentoring Program: The Process of Creating a Safe Space to Grow Professionally by Co‑Leadership

Abstract GeoLatinas is a nonprofit organization based on members volunteering and Co‑Leadership, which conduct initiatives to foster skills and knowledge transference collectively. This chapter describes GeoLatinas mentoring program design and workflow, which is aimed at building a tailored mentoring program focused on Latinas in geoscience careers. The program design involved a literature review, webinar organizations, surveys, and feedback from the GeoLatinas members, and shared experiences from our liaisons and advisers. GeoLatinas designed mentoring program is focused on younger generations of Latinas in STEM disciplines, particularly in geosciences. The mentoring program is rooted in Latina sisterhood, which is focused on creating a safe place for Latinas to grow professionally. Also, peer mentoring accelerates leadership skills among members who undertake initiatives. Here, we discuss lessons and challenges that mentors, mentees, and program coordinators overcame, which resulted in a successful mentoring experience in a formal program. We recognized the coordinators’ significant role, especially demands regarding volunteering and commitment. We strongly believe that our workflow may aid other non–profit organizations for mentoring purposes.