Mentor Booklet
Mar 08, 2016
Mentor Booklet
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What is a Mentor?
The original definition of the word mentor is “a trusted friend, counselor”. Over time, the definition
of a mentor has evolved to mean many different things.
In EnvironMentors, you will serve as a person who can give emotional and moral
encouragement to a youth in need of life guidance.
You will also provide knowledge, guidance, and support to help students complete a research
project. In this capacity, you will act as an advisor to your student, and perhaps as an academic
tutor in your area of expertise.
Beyond supporting your student in the development of his or her EnvironMentors research project,
you may also take an active interest in your student’s academic and professional development
as a budding scientist and scholar. To your student, you are a source of information about career
and college opportunities. Share your story and listen to theirs.
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Benefits of Being a Mentor1
No matter what brought you to EnvironMentors, we hope that you enjoy and learn from your time
as a mentor. There may be challenges along the way, but there are also benefits. As a mentor, you
get to:
� Watch a student achieve and flourish under your guidance
� Develop a 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
� Stay up-to-date in your field by doing fresh, interesting research
� Gain knowledge and skills in mentoring
� Increase the caliber of work your mentee will be able to produce
� Network and socialize with other mentors from a broad spectrum of public and private
sector agencies, organizations, and businesses
Over my three years with [EnvironMentors] I've learned
that high school students are really enthusiastic about the
environment and want to protect it. Being a mentor is a lot
of work, but it is worth it when you see the final science
project in the end. Although it may not seem like it at times,
for students having an adult mentor is a big deal for high
school students. It makes a big impression on them to know
there is an adult out there who cares about them.
1 Portions adapted from Adviser, Teacher, Role Model, Friend: On Being a Mentor to Students in Science and
Engineering (National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine)
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Expectations of Mentors
You will be volunteering your time and energy to support your student. You and your student
should both be clear that as mentor…
You WILL:
� Meet with your student once-per-week, or at least three-times-per-month, at a consistent and
time and location which is convenient to both of you.
� Stay in contact with your student via phone, e-mail, text, Skype, or Online Community between
in person meetings.
� Guide your student through the research process and help them understand difficult material.
� Help your student design and conduct their experiment, and analyze the data you collect.
� Assist your student in developing a project poster or display board for the Chapter Fair and any
other presentation opportunities that may become available.
You WILL NOT:
� Be a mentor to your student’s friends or family.
� Be a psychologist to your student. While you and your student can definitely talk about personal
problems, you are not there to “fix” you or diagnose your student.
� Be free labor. When you and your student are working on your EnvironMentors project, you are
there are the guide. The student should be doing the research, experiment, analysis, etc.
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The Mentor-Mentee
Relationship Cycle2
2 From: Ongoing Training for Mentors available at: http://www.edmentoring.org/pubs/ongoing_training.pdf
Challenging
and Testing
“Real”
Mentoring
Ending
Beginning of
the Match
Beginning of the Match
Characteristics:
- Getting to know each other
- The first impressions
- Trying to see the positive
in the relationship
- Bonding
Challenging and Testing
Characteristics:
- Mentee challenges
- Testing phase
- Rethinking first
impressions
- Difficult feelings or
emotions may surface
“Real” Mentoring
Characteristics:
- The relationship begins
feeling right again
- Trust is established
- Growth in the mentee can
be observed
- A “deeper” bond &
connection is formed
Ending
Characteristics:
- Preparing for closure
- Relationship may become
deeper or mentee may start
pulling away
- Reflection
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How to Be an Effective Mentor
Beginning of the Match
� Establish a positive, trusting relationship with your student
Before doing anything related to the EnvironMentors research project, work to establish a positive,
trusting relationship with your student. Acknowledge that all students are different and some will
be more open with you than others.
Move beyond the structured questions presented in the “Getting to Know You” interviews and
begin asking your student open-ended questions. Listen to your student with ears and eyes, paying
close attention to what he or she is verbally and nonverbally communicating to you.
Engage your student in some fun activities such as going out for a meal, to a movie or whatever
your student might find fun. Ask your student what some of his or her favorite weekend activities
are and build from there. When the bond between you and your student is strong, when he or she
trusts, respects, and has befriended you, your student will not want to let you down. Rather your
student will want to show up for meetings and follow through on assignments. This will make your
work together on the EnvironMentors research project flow much more easily.
Research on EnvironMentors has shown that the likelihood
of your student completing his or her project is much higher
when you share a strong, mutually trusting relationship.
It is important to make the distinction between mentoring and friendship. Your role as mentor is to
guide and encourage the student, while maintaining the balance between confidant and role model.
While many good mentoring relationships do turn into friendships, it is important to remain
objective and honest so that you can properly critique your student’s work and help them advance.
� Get to know your student’s family
In so far as possible, make an effort to get to know your student’s family or guardian(s). Remember
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that some families will be more open to welcoming you as their child’s mentor than others. By
learning more about your student’s family, you will gain insights into his or her life and character
traits that you may not otherwise. The more you know about your student’s family and his or her
home life, the more insights you will gain about your student’s strengths, motivations, and areas in
need of development.
Befriending your student’s family will help them learn about EnvironMentors, the opportunities
available to their child through the program, as well as the expectations of all students in the
program. With their support you will have a better chance of engaging your student to make weekly
mentor meetings, complete assignments on time, and make EnvironMentors a priority.
� Obtain all of your student’s contact information
Some students will have multiple forms of media they use to stay connected with friends and family
and others may not have a cell phone or computer in their household. Given the former, make sure
to obtain your student’s family and personal cell phone numbers, their e-mail addresses, Facebook
page, and any other media they may use. Also make sure to have your student coordinator and
EnvironMentors lead teacher contact information so that you can easily communicate small
successes and/or challenges you may face along the way. You may wish to help your student
establish a Gmail or other free e-mail account at school (if they don’t have one already) and make
sure to have them check it regularly.
� Establish consistency in location, day, and time of meetings
Particularly for students for whom inconsistency may be the norm, consistent meeting locations,
days, and time will build rhythm and routine for the EnvironMentors experience. Signing the
Student & Mentor Meeting Commitment Form will document your agreed upon meeting place
and time for the rest of the year as well as explain the rescheduling procedures. It is of the utmost
importance to adhere to the time you have scheduled to meet and just as important to be on time.
Share your contact information with one another.
The most important thing to impress upon your student is
the necessity of taking personal responsibility to communicate
with you. Remind your student to respond to your messages, call
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EXAMPLE
Virginia’s Poultry Industry’s Effect on the Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Project
Goals: 1) Determine the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay 2) Find out how Virginia’s Poultry Industry effects the Chesapeake Bay 3) Design an experiment to test Chesapeake Bay water for signs of poultry pollution
Objectives: 1) Conduct research on Virginia’s Poultry Industry 2) Visit the Chesapeake Bay and collect water samples to test for water quality 3) Identify the chemical/nutrient indicator for poultry pollution 4) Test the water for that indicator 5) Determine the level of contamination
Obstacles: 1) Transportation to the Chesapeake Bay 2) Learning how to test water quality 3) Learning how to test for the indicator 4) Obtaining testing equipment
you if he/she is running late to a meeting, and provide at least
24 hours’ notice if he/she will miss a meeting.
It is also a good idea to write down the responsibilities of both the mentor and student for the
length of the mentoring relationship. State your expectations clearly and fairly, but make sure that
they are realistic to you and your student’s ability.
� Present the whole EnvironMentors project
Review the program from beginning to end. Discuss with your student that they are about to
embark on an exciting adventure of scientific inquiry including development of a project topic
based on personal interests about the environment. This may at first seem overwhelming to your
student. Assure your student that you will be with them as their coach and mentor throughout the
process and by doing well in each of the project’s phases they will strengthen their chances of doing
well at your chapter’s fair with the possibility of winning a scholarship and being selected to travel
to the national EnvironMentors Fair in Washington, DC.
To structure your year, write down a list of clearly stated, realistic goals for the mentoring/project
experiment and objectives towards reaching them. Keep your student optimistic, but realistic. It is
important to for you to help them realize their idea in the most practical ways possible. Once you
have done that, identify all obstacles and think of possible solutions.
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Challenging and Testing � Start from your student’s starting point Our students come from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds and stages of development,
and each will enter the program at a certain point in his or her development. As a mentor, you need
to meet at his or her stage of development, which may be quite different than you may have
expected. You, as a mentor, can support your student to move, from where he or she started on the
project towards the next stage of development by always keeping in mind where your student is in
their process of development.
Additionally, throughout the project, your student will want to know, “what’s next”, has he or she
come up with the correct next step, the right answer, or conclusion. Again, as a mentor, you role is
to always come back to supporting your student the process of scientific inquiry and in so doing
continue to help your student build critical thinking skills. Remember to always ask your student
what he or she thinks is the next step, remind them that there are no right or wrong answers or
conclusions, only new information which his or her data will ultimately reveal.
Finally, remember that your student most likely does not have advanced knowledge of scientific
procedures and issues. Therefore, explain complex procedures and topics in simple language, and
be sure to avoid heavy technical jargon until it is defined.
� Continue Building Your Relationship
This may take more time and effort than you originally thought, even with the best planning.
Continue to be there for and support your student. Build your relationship by doing things together
that are both productive and fun. This could include going on EnvironMentors field trips or to
workshops/symposiums together. It could also just mean making your meetings and experiment as
fun as possible. Another way to strengthen the relationship is to share your personal life
experiences and wisdom with your student so that they know that you have been in their shoes
before. This will help build a mentoring relationship that is based in mutual trust, understanding,
and empathy.
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� Mentor-Student Communication3
Do not assume anything about your student. Instead, communicate with your student to figure out
misconceptions or barriers. Sometime a third party is necessary as a moderator if the student is too
embarrassed to directly voice their true concerns or if you are unable to relate to the student. Work
with your chapter coordinator or teacher.
Be careful with your authority. Make sure you are not imposing your opinion, but rather focusing
on your student’s goals and project ideas. The goal is to nurture your student’s interests, abilities,
and opportunities in order to cultivate independent thinkers who are self-confident and
encouraged to seek higher education.
Listen carefully to the needs of your student before you interpret or judge their actions and always
repeat back their concerns to make sure that you understood them correctly. Aside from what they
are actually saying, it is important to listen to their body language, tone, and attitude to get the
fullest understanding of their feelings.
Tips for Good Communication and Listening Skills
React and use short words of encouragement
Show you are listening by using short words “mmm”,
“I see”, “yes”, “go on”.
Be Sympathetic
Acknowledge their situation using phrases like “that
must have been difficult” or “sounds like you’ve had a
bad time”.
Show positive body language
The way you sit or stand can encourage someone to
feel relaxed around you, and that you want to hear
what they have to say.
Be relaxed but show you are concentrating on what
they have to say.
- Relax your arms, don’t cross them
- Sit slightly forward and tilt your head
- Make plenty of eye contact, but don’t stare
- Smile and nod where appropriate
Choose and open question
Use questions starting with how, what, where, why,
and who to encourage your mentee to talk. For
example, “what was that like?” or “what’s happening
now?”
Avoid closed questions
These are questions that need only one-word
answers like “are you upset? “ or “do you think you’ll
tell her?”
Don’t be afraid to ask
If they don’t want to talk about it, they’ll say so.
Do you know what I mean?
Don’t assume that you know what they mean.
Summarize what they’ve said to confirm you’ve
understood correctly. Ask clarifying questions if you
don’t understand.
So do you mean…?
If I’m hearing you right, what you’re saying is…
What to say when someone gets upset
Don’t try to say too much or solve their problems.
Sometimes just listening or being there is enough.
3 Reproduced from Samaritans, Lesson 2A Communication & Listening Skills
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Real Mentoring
� Help your student develop a project topic based on his or her personal interests
Students who are strongly invested in their project topic are far more likely to complete their
project than students who have a lesser interest and investment in their topic. All students are
different and some will naturally bring stronger interests in the environment and be more
intrinsically motivated than others. Your student may readily generate a battery of ideas for
projects in which case you will need to help focus them on what they seem to be most interested in
and a topic that will lend itself to experimental research.
In contrast, your student may struggle to hone in on a topic related to the environment that sparks
his or her enthusiasm and passion. In this case, you will need to work with him or her to identify
things they are interested in and then help them relate these to the environment. Your job as a
mentor during the project planning phase is to first help your student hone in on a project idea that
you sense they are most excited about and help them focus their idea into a project topic that will
lend itself to experimental research.
� Focus on skills development Carrying out the EnvironMentors Project is a complex undertaking. It includes using a wide variety
of skills including research and writing; creative, analytic, and critical thinking; and communication
skills. No student (or mentor) will excel in all areas. As you and your student settle into a meeting
pattern, your student’s strengths and weaknesses will begin to emerge. As a mentor, you have an
opportunity to help your student strengthen his or her weakness, and custom tailor strategies to
help your student improve in these areas. Don’t feel like you have to do this alone – instead work
with your chapter coordinator and teacher to support your student.
� Expose your student to college
One of the central goals of EnvironMentors is to prepare them for college and degree programs in
environmental fields. Since most of our students will claim an interest in going to college, your role
is to help your student navigate what it takes to get into college, share academic fields they may
want to pursue, and discuss the realities of college with them. Following are four steps to build this
into your mentoring:
- Expose your student to college life and the resources available on a university campus. Hold
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weekly meetings on campus, use the library to contact background research, and tour
research labs.
- Introduce your student to the various environmental, natural resource, and related
programs and departments to help them understand the multitude of opportunities these
programs have to offer, and the professions associated with pursuing these programs.
- Weave in conversations about your student’s hopes and dreams for college and try to gain a
good sense of what your student is thinking about regarding college. Work to build
enthusiasm and motivation toward these dreams and speak about the sizable benefits of
holding at least a 2- or 4-year degree.
EnvironMentors student alumni with at least one mentor
have more information about careers in environmental,
science, technology, engineering, and math fields. Again,
they are more confident that they are on the path towards
achieving future career goals.4
� Open the Door to New Opportunities
In addition to being a mentor, you can also introduce your student to other role models or sponsors.
Expanding your student’s network of contacts will open doors for them to find internships,
academic advisors, and other mentors.
It’s also likely that your student may ask you to write a letter of recommendation. It is always best
to be straightforward with the student about your ability to write a supportive letter. If you feel
able to write a good recommendation letter then you should write honestly, use specific examples
in your letter, and to be up-to-date with the student’s accomplishments and abilities. See 10 Tips
for Recommending Your Student, below.
4 2012 Longitudinal study of EnvironMentors on student alumni
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Ending
� Provide closure
Be clear about the relationship length from the beginning, and plan a formal closure event.
- Reflect through a yearbook, photos, videos, thank you cards, or other discussions
- Celebrate achievements and reflect on time together
- Share something you learned from each other
It’s possible that you or your student will have to end the relationship unexpectedly. Life events
(e.g. school, jobs, or family responsibilities) happen, and that’s okay. Be open with one another and
celebrate the relationship you shared. If you have to end the relationship because of behavior, work
with your chapter coordinator but be open about why the relationship didn’t work. Share feedback
on how the situation could be handled better next time, and let your coordinator know if you’d like
to be re-matched with another student or stay involved in the program.
� Determine how the relationship will continue
If you and your student would like to stay in touch, outline expectations for this. Do you plan to
email when he or she go off to college? Will you plan to meet in person or just stay friends on
Facebook? Will you participate in EnvironMentors again next year?
Understanding your student’s expectations of a future relationship will help you be prepared to
either continue as their mentor or transition to another role in his or her life.
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Common Mentoring Issues and Resolutions
Mentoring has its up and downs, especially during the “challenging and testing” phase of your
relationship. No matter how well you and your student work together, small issues occasionally
occur. While each student and scenario is unique, a few of the common mentoring challenges are
listed below, along with solutions suggested by mentors who faced them.
Mentoring Challenges Suggested Resolutions
My student and I are having a
difficult time finding a consistent
time to meet.
Short-term:
- Use an alternate method of communication to catch up and schedule an in-person
meeting (phone, e-mail, social media, Skype).
- Confirm your next in-person meeting a day in advance with your student.
- Meet with your student after another EnvironMentors event, field trip, or
workshops.
Long-term:
- Select a regular meeting time (every Tuesday at 4pm, every Saturday at 1pm).
Confirm the meeting a day in advance, each week.
- Talk to your coordinator about major scheduling conflicts you have with your
student.
- Be honest if you are too busy: tell your coordinator if you are unable to make the
time for your student.
My student picked a project topic
that I have absolutely NO knowledge,
interest, or expertise in.
Short-term:
- Understand that EnvironMentors is a mentoring program, not an apprenticeship
for students. You may not have content knowledge to share, but you can model the
process of science. How do you, as a scientist, learn new things?
Long-term:
- You have knowledge on how to conduct research, write a paper, make professional
contacts, build a network, and communicate effectively.
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- Ask your colleagues for guidance or help if they have expertise in your student’s
project topic area.
I am mentoring as part of a
community service project and need
to meet a quota, but my student
hasn’t been coming to meetings.
Short-term:
- Try to reconnect with your student (phone, e-mail, social media).
- If you have a home phone number, leave a message or talk to his or her parents.
- Make your coordinator or teacher aware of the situation.
Long-term:
- Consider setting up a mediation meeting where you, your student, and a third party
can sit down and discuss why the student is no longer communicative and work
out a solution.
- Talk to your coordinator about other volunteer opportunities he or she has at your
chapter. You may be able to assist other student-mentor pairs, lead a skills
workshop, or be a “topic expert” for your chapter.
My student has been coming to
meetings but hasn’t been working on
his or her project in between our
time together.
- Student may just need a mentor, the project may be secondary. You want to meet
your student where they are.
- That said, you want to encourage your student to finish their project. They will gain
important skills and feel pride in their work. They may even win a trip to DC and
the chance to win scholarships.
- Talk to your coordinator or teacher about your student’s project progress. Your
coordinator may have stricter guidelines regarding being in the EnvironMentors
program.
My student and I worked well
together at the start of the program
year, but after winter vacation my
student fell off the
grid.
Short-term:
- Try to reconnect with your student (phone, e-mail, social media).
- If you have a home phone number, leave a message or talk to his or her parents.
- Make your coordinator or teacher aware of the situation.
Long-term:
- Consider setting up a mediation meeting where you, your student, and a third party
can sit down and discuss why the student is no longer communicative and work
out a solution.
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Mentor Do’s and Don’ts
� Be a role model, guide, and confidant to
your student × Get personally involved in your student’s
home or social life
� Introduce your student to new
opportunities, people, and settings
× Share confidential things that your student
has told you, unless it is for your student’s
security
� Always be on time to meetings × Constantly reschedule or come late to
meetings
� Focus all attention onto your student
during your meetings × Answer telephone calls, emails, or get
distracted during your meetings
� Always clarify misunderstandings through
calm, direct communication or a third
party mediator
× Assume something about the student
without the student’s clarification.
� Allow your student to develop his or her
own ideas, understandings, and
conclusions
× Impose your own ideas and interpretation
onto your student
� Actively listen to your student, including
what he or she is saying, his or her body
language, and emotional reactions
× Lecture your student
� Explain complicated concepts in a way that
your student can understand × Use technical jargon or talk in abstract
concepts when explaining new ideas.
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Additional Mentoring Resources
National Mentoring Partnership, (www.nmp.org)
National Mentoring Partnership works to expand the world of quality mentoring. NMP believes
that, with the help and guidance of an adult mentor, each child can discover how to unlock and
achieve his or her potential. The NMP web site hosts a wealth of resources for mentoring program
providers, as well as individual mentors wanting to expand or improve their practice.
National Mentoring Resources Center, (www.NMRC.org)
The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory's (NREL) National Mentoring Center is one of the
nation's premier training and technical assistance providers for youth mentoring programs and
initiatives. NREL’s center recently launched of the Mentoring Resource Center Mentoring Forums,
an interactive website where mentoring professionals can ask and answer questions, share
resources and documents, and discuss effective practices for running a youth mentoring or youth
development program (http://mentoringforums.nwrel.org)
MentorNet (www.mentornet.net)
MentorNet is the award-winning nonprofit e-mentoring network that positively affects the
retention and success of those in engineering, science and mathematics, particularly but not
exclusively women and others underrepresented in these fields. MentorNet provides motivated
protégés from many of the world's top colleges and universities with positive, one-on-one, email-
based mentoring relationships with mentors from industry, government, and higher education. In
addition, the MentorNet Community provides opportunities to connect with others from around the
world who are interested in diversifying engineering and science disciplines.
SOARS, Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science,
(http://www.soars.ucar.edu/about/mentoring.php)
SOARS is dedicated to broadening participation in the atmospheric and related sciences. It is an
undergraduate to graduate program built around a summer research internship, mentoring by top
scientists, and a supportive learning community.
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About Your Student and Chapter
Please fill out this form when you are paired with your student
Student’s contact information
Student’s name: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred email: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred phone (Work/Home/Cell): ______________________________________________________________
Secondary phone (Work/Home/Cell): _____________________________________________________________
Home address: ________________________________________________________________________________________
School: _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Student’s emergency contact information
Student’s Emergency contact: _______________________________________________________________________
Relationship to student: _____________________________________________________________________________
Primary phone (Work/Home/Cell): ________________________________________________________________
Secondary phone (Work/Home/Cell): _____________________________________________________________
Preferred email: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Coordinator’s contact information:
Coordinator’s name: _________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred email: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred phone (Work/Home/Cell): ______________________________________________________________
Secondary phone (Work/Home/Cell): _____________________________________________________________
Director’s contact information:
Director’s name: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred email: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred phone (Work/Home/Cell): ______________________________________________________________
Teacher’s contact information:
Teacher’s name: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred email: ______________________________________________________________________________________
Preferred phone (Work/Home/Cell): ______________________________________________________________
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Best days, times and locations to meet:
Day of the Week Time Location
1
2
3
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Student & Mentor
Meeting Commitment Form
Please fill out this form with your mentor, sign it, and return it to your chapter coordinator.
First Meeting
I, _______________________________________, agree to meet my mentor for our first
meeting at the time and location specified below:
Date: _________________________________________
Time: _________________________________________
Location: ______________________________________
I will get to the first meeting location by (circle all that apply):
Public Transportation Get a ride from __________________________
Walk Other _____________________________________
Future Meetings
I, _______________________________________, will continue to meet with my mentor
as follows:
Day of week: ___________________________________
Time: ___________________________________________
Location: _______________________________________
Transportation: ________________________________
Contact With My Mentor
I, _______________________________________, agree to notify my mentor if I am
unable to make a meeting or if I will be late to a meeting. I will do so by
calling all numbers and writing to all emails my mentor provides me. If I do
not reach my mentor, I promise to leave a message and continue to call my
mentor until I speak to him/her directly.
I, _______________________________________, understand that if I fail to meet these
basic commitments on an ongoing basis, I may be asked to leave the
program.
Student signature: ________________________________________________ Date: __________________________
Mentor signature: ________________________________________________ Date: __________________________