Mentor Learning Path
Mentors play a critical role in helping podlings learn the Apache Way. This path introduces the core responsibilities and provides exercises to practice.
New to mentoring? You’re not expected to read everything at once. Start with the Mentor Quick Start Guide and use the rest as reference when you need it.
This short video welcomes new mentors to the Apache Incubator and provides an overview of the process for getting started.
See also: Training Home | All Resources
Key: 📘 Guide 🖥️ Slide Deck 🎞️ Video 🧩 Quiz 🧠 Practice / Scenario 🎮 Interactive
Steps
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📘 Read: Mentor Quick Start Guide - fast orientation for new mentors
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📘 Read: Mentor Onboarding - detailed overview of mentor responsibilities and expectations
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🎞️ Watch: Mentor Onboarding - video of Mentor Onboarding presentation
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🧩 Quiz: ASF Mentor Onboarding Quiz
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🧠 Practice: Mentor Scenarios Training
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📘 Read: Best Practices for Mentors - real-world mentoring examples and scenarios
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📘 Read: Incubator Case Studies - lessons learned from past podlings
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📘 Read: Mentors’ Tough Conversation Guide - approaches for handling challenging situations
Also see
📘 Mentor Handbook - the central reference tying together all mentor responsibilities, guidance, and training materials. Start here before exploring individual topics below.
Orientation & Fundamentals
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📘 Incubation Explained - overview of the Incubator’s purpose, practices, and lessons learned
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📘 Podling Orientation Guide - introduction to the incubation process and expectations for new podlings
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📘 Who Does What - clarifies roles and responsibilities across the ASF, IPMC, mentors, and podling PMCs
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📘 Why Governance Matters - explains why governance is central to ASF culture and how mentors help podlings apply it
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🖥️ ASF Values - introduction to the core cultural values of the ASF
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🎞️ ASF Values - video overview of ASF Values
Mentoring, Leadership & Community Building
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📘 Joining the Incubator - what prospective podlings should know before applying and how mentors can guide them through the proposal process
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📘 Mentor Onboarding - guidance on the responsibilities and expectations of new mentors
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🎞️ Mentor Onboarding - video of Mentor Onboarding presentation
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📘 Mentor Offboarding - guidance on stepping back and handing off mentoring responsibilities
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📘 Selecting a PMC Chair - guidance on choosing a balanced and effective PMC Chair
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🖥️ Community Building in Practice (Slide Deck) - building and sustaining healthy, diverse communities
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🎞️ Community Building in Practice - how mentors can help podlings turn contributors into a sustainable Apache community
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🎮 Mentoring in Practice - interactive, story-based exercises that help mentors explore real-world incubation challenges
Governance, Consensus & Neutrality
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📘 Governance in Practice - guidance on applying ASF governance principles in podling communities
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🖥️ Governance in Practice (Slide Deck) - how ASF governance works day to day
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🎞️ Governance in Practice - turning ASF principles into everyday project practice
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📘 Common Myths About the Incubator - corrects frequent misunderstandings about incubation, reporting, and decision-making
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📘 Voting and Consensus in Practice - how consensus and voting shape decision-making in ASF projects
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🖥️ Voting and Consensus in Practice (Slide Deck) - understanding how Apache communities make decisions
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🎞️ Voting and Consensus in Practice - how ASF projects make transparent, inclusive, and consensus-driven decisions
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📘 Communication in Apache Projects - helping podlings use mailing lists and chats transparently and effectively
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📘 Vendor Neutrality - ensuring projects remain independent of single-vendor control
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🖥️ Vendor Neutrality (Slide Deck) - why balanced governance keeps Apache projects healthy and independent
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🎞️ Vendor Neutrality - how mentors can help podlings maintain a balanced and independent community
Branding, Legal & Infrastructure
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🖥️ Branding & Identity (Slide Deck) - guidance on name use, logo policy, and protecting ASF trademarks
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🎞️ Branding & Identity - how mentors can guide podlings to follow ASF branding and identity policies
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📘 Third-Party Branding and Incubating Projects - using third-party brands while respecting ASF branding policies
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📘 Legal Basics - ensuring podling releases meet ASF legal and licensing requirements
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📘 Interacting with ASF Infrastructure - when and how mentors can help podlings engage with ASF Infra
Reporting, Graduation & Beyond
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📘 Project Report Guide - guidance on preparing and submitting ASF project reports to the Board
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🧠 Incubator Reporting Scenarios - interactive practice on writing and evaluating podling reports
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📘 Measuring Podling Health - how mentors evaluate community activity, diversity, and engagement
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📘 Release Vote Insights - analysis of vote patterns and lessons from past release reviews to improve mentoring and podling readiness
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📘 Graduation Criteria - requirements and checks for graduation readiness
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📘 Graduation and Beyond - guidance on the post-graduation transition and ongoing relationship with the ASF
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📘 How To Use the ASF Maturity Model - framework for assessing podling readiness and project health
Lessons & Case Studies
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📘 Incubator Case Studies - examples of challenges and successes from past podlings
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📘Practicing The Apache Way - scenario-based cases from real Incubator situations (anonymized) showing how ASF principles are applied under pressure.