What’s an Open Circuit?
Open Circuits are action teams that focus on one of five topics: Downtown Wichita Falls, Modern School Facilities, Intern Wichita Falls, Bike-Friendly Community, and Lake Wichita. With their Open Circuit team, members monitor their assigned community topic and update the rest of The Circuit quarterly at the team program. To successfully complete this task, members may be required to attend relevant events, forums, meetings, etc. and prepare a statement to deliver at the quarterly team program
What’s a Closed Circuit?
Closed Circuits refer to each Circuit member's plan of action and requirements include: attending one official city or county event and writing a one-page summary of the proceedings annually (city council, school board, county commissioners’ court, 4a board or 4b board).
How much does it cost to join The Circuit?
There is no cost to join The Circuit!
What are the age requirements to join The Circuit?
Members must be between the ages of 18 and 40.
What's the time requirement for members?
Members can expect to dedicate around 1-3 hours per month to various programs. This time can include one-on-ones with a mentor (1 hr/quarter), monthly programs (1hr/month), Chamber professional development programs (3-4 hours/quarter), open circuits (1-3 hours/quarter) and closed circuits (1-3 hours/year).
What are the age requirements to be a mentor?
There is no age requirement to be a mentor, but a minimum of at least 5-10 years of specific industry expertise is preferred.
What's the time requirement for mentors?
Mentors can expect to spend at least one hour per mentee per quarter in a one-on-one setting, to take place at the convenience of both the mentor and mentee. The mentor/mentee relationship is a one-year commitment, so mentors can expect to commit four hours per year.
How long are Circuit Board terms?
Board members serve one-year terms that run January through December of each year.
How are members matched to their mentor?
Mentors and members are matched together based off professional compatibility using a unique weighted matching system that takes into consideration industry, experience level, and areas of interest. This information is gathered when members and mentors join for the program through the registration form. After the initial assessment is finished, each match is reviewed bi-weekly by an internal match committee meeting. This committee will also review special cases, such as mismatches, ties and multiple matches to the same mentor.
How is the mentor matching system’s weights broken down?
When conducting the matching process, industries are weighted at one point, experience level is matched at two points and each of the three areas of interested at weighted at three points each. A match can receive up to twelve points total between the three above listed categories. A match is considered compatible at a 67% match or higher, which is eight out of twelve points.
How long will it take for me to be matched with a mentor?
New members can expect to be matched with their mentor within 10-15 business days after they register for the Circuit. Sometimes a new member will not have an obvious mentor match when they first join, promoting our mentor matching committee to actively recruit a quality match from the community for this new member. If this happens, the new member will be updated as new information is received.
