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: __________________________