Preceptor

Overview of Watson Institute

Watson Institute powers transformative Fellowships in partnership with leading corporations and foundations to support highly promising entrepreneurs and leaders from underserved backgrounds. The Fellowships provide proven entrepreneurship and leadership skills training, committed mentorship, community development stipends, long-term Alumni support, and access to a global community of peers, mentors, and opportunities.

In partnership with Google, JPMorganChase Foundation, Walmart.org, Wells Fargo, Ford Philanthropy, SAP, Truist Foundation, BMO, Comcast, Western Union, and several private foundations, Watson Institute’s programs will reach over 2,400 rising leaders this year.

Alumni of Watson Institute’s Fellowships have raised over $190 million, created over 2,300 paid jobs, and impacted over 11 million people around the world through initiatives they have helped lead. 93% of Watson Institute alums are employed, continuing their education, or building a venture. 85% of Watson Institute Alumni use a skill they learned while in a Watson Institute-powered program up to 12 years later. Watson Institute’s Alumni have been selected to Y Combinator, the Echoing Green Fellowship, and 11 have been named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 lists. Alums continue their education at Harvard University, New York University, and Princeton University, among others. 

Preceptor – Mission Statement

To inspire, advise, and guide Watson Institute Fellows to accelerate their ventures and impact as they progress through the 16-week Fellowship. Unlike traditional instructors, Preceptors combine real-world experience with facilitation expertise to create highly engaging, action-oriented learning experiences. They help Fellows apply new skills directly to their ventures, careers, and leadership development. Our strongest Preceptors are founders, operators, investors, executives, educators, and ecosystem builders who are passionate about helping others grow.

Position Breakdown:

Preceptors are Watson Institute’s equivalent of experts in residence. They are carefully selected practitioners, leaders, and entrepreneurs who teach Watson Institute curriculum, draw on a wealth of personal experience, and individually advise Watson Institute Fellows (Fellowship participants). Preceptors are hired as contractors to facilitate a range of entrepreneurial topics, including but not limited to: Foundations, Data & Metrics, Funding, Go-to-Market, Pitch, and Team Management. 

We use the term Preceptor, as this term specifically refers to one who performs the dual role of practitioner and educator, and we hire Preceptors who have one foot in the impact space and one foot in entrepreneurial education. We intentionally identify Preceptors whose experience is rooted in practice, rather than theory. As a preceptor, your primary responsibility will be to lead a designated block within the program. Each block typically comprises two to four modules, focusing on specific themes or topics relevant to the overall program objectives. 

As a Preceptor, your responsibilities include preparing content, facilitating virtual sessions, providing mentorship and coaching, providing feedback on Fellow deliverables, attending program meetings, and participating in onboarding and training activities. While time commitments vary by Fellowship, candidates should expect a part-time commitment throughout the duration of their assigned Fellowship. Additional details regarding time commitments, scheduling, and responsibilities will be shared during the interview process and confirmed prior to hire.

Module Delivery Methodology: 

We always aim to implement content and experiences rooted in application, not in theory. While theory and lecture certainly have their place in our content, on the spectrum from highly academic/theoretical to purely experiential, we fall near the experiential end. This is an intentional decision and part of our unique value proposition. We aim to ensure that modules, as well as outside work, are highly relevant to building a venture and to building themselves as leaders. We strive to create an experience that is highly relevant, rigorous, and (always) engaging! 

At Watson Institute, it is important that we consistently follow the 5-step facilitation process, which enables for 80% of the modules to be focused on practicing and applying a skill/framework to a Fellow’s ventures (i.e., application), and 20% of the time to be focused on introducing the skill and framework (i.e., lecture).  Aligning with the Gallup/Purdue poll, which emphasizes the importance of Fellows applying what they are learning to something they are passionate about on a daily basis, we organize our pedagogy for each module accordingly. 

Our module delivery follows the best practices below: 

1. Creating Clear Learning Outcomes: Precise, measurable, and specific statements defining the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies Fellows are expected to attain.
2. Creating Aligned in-Session Activities: Activities should be designed to measure whether Fellows have understood the intended learning outcomes and are able to apply it directly to their venture. 
3. Having a Fellow-Centered Approach: Encourages a shift from a teacher-centered to a learner-centered approach, focusing on individual Fellows' progress and allowing for diverse learning styles and venture stages.
4. Being Flexible and Adaptability: We highly recommend you review the Fellow profiles before you create the material for your Block. We will go over the Fellows' profiles and highlights during the Orientation, but it would be helpful to understand the venture stage(s) present in the cohort.  We aim to serve the “missing middle” in our Fellowship, which is a Venture Stage 7-8. Review the Venture Staging document here. 
5. Continuous Improvement: Ongoing assessment and feedback mechanisms enable us to continuously improve our program. We have two surveys that Fellows complete (mid- and end-of-program surveys), and we will provide you with feedback as well. 

Learning Management System: 

The learning management system (LMS) that we use to deliver our programs is Google Classroom. As part of your role, we ask that Preceptors upload all of their materials in a timely manner to help us provide the best possible fellow-user experience. You will be provided a prep checklist prior to your session. 

Mentorship Role:

As part of the Preceptor role, we ask that each Preceptor set aside 4 hours per module they teach to advise Fellows as part of the Mentorship component. We are relying on you to help challenge, encourage, and guide Fellows as they navigate the complexities of creating social change and solving significant problems in the world. Your advice and support are integral to their experience at Watson Institute. Fellows who would like to participate in mentorship will sign up to schedule a 1-on-1 with you, with each session lasting 30 minutes. This would allow you to meet with a maximum of 8 Fellows over 16 weeks for each module you teach. You are welcome to extend your availability at your meeting times at your discretion. 

We encourage you to protect your time and guide Fellows in properly handling accountability and responsibility for your meetings with them. We will be encouraging Fellows to write a goal they have for their time with you and advice, from a personal and professional perspective - challenging Fellows to reflect on what they want the ideal outcome to be. This is intended to guide the conversations and your time together. *We kindly request that all Preceptors keep a record of their mentorship sessions by submitting a brief form. Watson Institute will provide this form to you following the orientation with your onboarding materials. 

*New responsibilities may develop as the Preceptor position evolves.