Please note: Advance signup was required for this event. Signup is now closed.

The National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families and NCFR are pleased to host a free mentoring/networking lunch on Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the 2016 NCFR Annual Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The event is designed to connect students and new professionals with leaders in the field, particularly those studying Hispanic children and families.

Students and new professionals whose focus includes Hispanic children and families, and those who are interested in learning about the potential relevance of Hispanic children and families for their work, are welcome. We are also looking for mentors whose work focuses on or includes Hispanic children and families.

Use this webform to sign up for the lunch as a mentee or as a mentor. The signup deadline for the lunch is Sept. 26. You must be registered for the conference to attend this lunch.

Organizers will facilitate interactive conversations between students and new professionals and mentors. Participants will be seated according to topical areas of interest and expertise. Mentors will guide informal discussions within the context of studying Hispanic children and families and/or professional growth and development, and they will be available to answer questions.

You can also submit questions and preferred discussion topics ahead of time via the signup webform. Possible topics include a range of research-related issues, including the relevance of the growing Hispanic population for studying children and families and the heterogeneity of Hispanic families, as well as professional development topics such as identifying and pursuing a career trajectory; working within a team context; balancing work-life; time management; and transitioning to the workplace.

Space for this event is limited. Student and new professional spots will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Mentors will be selected based on need and topic areas of expertise.

Again, the lunch will be held Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (conference session #130). Signup for the lunch will close shortly before the conference takes place.

Use this webform to sign up for the lunch as a mentee or as a mentor. Again, the signup deadline is Sept. 26.

If you have questions about the mentoring lunch, please email Jennifer Crosswhite, NCFR's director of research and policy education.

The National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families is led by Drs. Michael López (Abt Associates) and Lina Guzman (Child Trends), along with co-investigators from New York University, University of Maryland, and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The Center was established in 2013 by a five-year cooperative agreement from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation within the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Michael L. López, Ph.D. is co-PI of the Center and co-lead of its Advancing Research efforts, both in partnership with Dr. Guzman. He also leads the Building Research Capacity activities. Dr. López is principal associate at Abt Associates and a national expert with over 25 years of experience conducting applied early childhood research, with an emphasis on low-income and culturally and linguistically diverse populations.

Michelle Blocklin, Ph.D. is the Center's project director at Abt Associates, coordinating with co-PIs, Child Trends, and Co-Investigators to manage the ongoing work of the Center as well as the Capacity Building activities. Dr. Blocklin is an associate at Abt Associates with a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies.

Support for this event also was provided by NCFR's Research and Theory Section, Ethnic Minorities Section, and Students and New Professionals (SNPs), and the Latino(a) Research Focus Group.