Why Mentor?
Mentoring is an important component of our work with students here at the IC. Research findings have identified many important advantages to the use of mentors in secondary education settings. According to Bruce and Bridgeland (2014), mentored youth set higher educational goals, are more apt to pursue higher education, and engage in extracurricular activities beyond mentoring. Additionally, they identified the support and guidance of mentors as keys to their successes and healthy choices. Mentoring was also found to boost self-confidence, enhance skills, and contribute to a sense of belonging within a future professional field (Bruce & Bridgeland, 2014). Your work with our students provides opportunities for students to gain valuable insight into potential academic and career paths.
Our mentors are encouraged to share their industry experiences and passion for their particular STEM disciplines with our students. Project teams rely on mentors to share valuable skills and guide mentees through the stages of our district-adopted design process. Mentor/mentee relationships give students many opportunities to improve self-confidence, develop a willingness to take risks, persevere through problem-solving, and acquire and apply essential technical skills while earning, participating in projects, and creating solutions.
Mentoring at the IC
Our mentors are an essential part of our programming and allow us to provide students with access to the expertise of STEM industry professionals. Mentor involvement at our facility provides a vital link between the industry workforce and public education communities.
We recognize the vital role of industry mentors in providing valuable resources for workforce readiness education. Mentors are crucial to the preparation of our students for the professional world. We invite you to discover the variety of ways industry professionals participate in our programs.
Getting Started
The Innovation Center offers mentors flexibility in their interactions with project teams. Depending on various circumstances, mentor participation can be facilitated in the following formats:
Virtual – In some cases mentors may need to interact with teams online through video conferencing.
In-person – Mentors will come to the IC to work with students in person.
Blended – Depending on the situation, there may be opportunities for teams to combine virtual and in-person mentor participation.
There are many ways to participate in mentoring at the IC. Below is a list of possible mentor roles and their descriptions.
Guest Speaker
- One event focused on project team needs as they relate to your STEM discipline.
STEM Industry Expert
- Mentoring for one specific project throughout the project.
Expert Consultant
- Mentoring project team meetings as needed for specific team sessions.
Long Term Mentor
- Mentoring at regularly scheduled project team meetings and events.
Industry Certification Mentor
Contact Us!
The Mentor Programs Project Team is here to support potential and current mentors. Contact us with any questions at [email protected]
If you are interested in becoming a mentor please follow this link to complete our interest form.