Mentoring allows you to:

• Help a young person create a brighter future
  
• Develop a one-to-one friendship with a young person who can benefit both personally and academically
  
• Give back to your community
  
• Share your interest in the environment with a young person
  
• Extend your passion for your profession with a student who can benefit from your guidance and experience
  
• Increase your understanding of local natural history and environmental issues
  
• Gain knowledge and skills in mentoring
  
• Network and socialize with other mentors from a broad spectrum of public and private sector agencies, organizations, and businesses

Mentor responsibilities

As a mentor, you will be matched with a high school student who shares similar interests.  We also take into account other considerations such as geographic location, gender, and career interests when matching.

No prior mentoring or research experience is necessary. If you are enthusiastic, dedicated and patient, you’ve got what it takes to become a mentor!

We ask that you commit to meeting with your student 3-4 times a month, for 1-2 hours during the academic year.  Meeting times and locations are flexible and are mutually determined by you and your student.

You and your student will work together to choose a topic and design an experimental research project. Over the course of the program, you will help your student conduct research on your topic in the library, on the internet, in the field, and with expert interviews.  You will also support your student as he/she develops and presents his/her project to an elementary school class in the spring and at your Chapter's EnvironMentors Fair at the end of the academic year in May.

During the year we provide mentor support through training workshops and seminars in the areas of mentoring skills and environmental research project development.  We also schedule regular mentor social events as well as student and mentor field trips. Mentors are also supported by phone and email communication with their Chapter's staff.

Please Submit all Applications by September 24th, 2008 to the appropriate DC or University Chapter  

Download the Mentor Application