Introduction ¶

The Kartoza Internship program prepares aspiring professionals for the workforce by building skills in GIS and programming. The author shares mentoring experiences from three intern batches, offering insights applicable to programming education.

Setting Goals ¶

The mentor observed experienced developers at Kartoza to establish performance benchmarks. Since most interns lack IT backgrounds, realistic minimum standards were set. Django emerged as a key technology, making it the target framework for interns to master basic web GIS development.

Creating a Learning Curriculum ¶

Curriculum development requires understanding learners’ perspectives. Initial plans covered Python syntax, classes, inheritance, and GIS data manipulation before Django modules. However, colleague Tim suggested incorporating computer science fundamentals and logical thinking first, recognizing that geography/geomatics-focused interns benefit from understanding binary systems and abstract problem-solving approaches.

Be Patient and Supportive ¶

Learning requires time and individual pacing. The author emphasizes patience when students struggle, noting concerns about discouraging questions. Multiple support channels—sessions, Slack, direct messaging, and weekly intern hangouts—ensure accessibility and continued progress.

Provide Guidance, Not Just Answers ¶

Rather than solving problems directly, mentors should guide through questions about error messages and problem identification. While initially frustrating, this develops essential debugging skills that transfer beyond programming contexts.

Teach Problem-Solving Skills ¶

Encouraging independent research via Google search builds professional competency. When solutions aren’t found independently, explanations follow without abandoning students. Problem-solving skills apply across many professional domains.

Give Praise ¶

Recognition matters. Expressing encouragement—“Nice stuff,” “Great work”—boosts morale and motivation throughout the learning journey.

Seek Feedback ¶

Feedback forms revealed improvement areas, though the author suspects interns’ politeness may limit honest responses. Truthful feedback enables better mentoring practices.

Conclusion ¶

Witnessing interns progress from “print(‘hello world!’)” basics to creating functional Django-based web GIS applications rewards the mentoring effort.