Why Mentorship?
• What highly gifted students need most are good mentors to serve as guides as they navigate complex subject matter. (1)
• Mentorships are particularly effective in guiding the development of gifted young people through difficult formative years. (2)
• Through mentoring relationships, gifted students are able to mature, explore future careers and successes, apply classroom knowledge, and gain role models (3)
• Mentoring experiences help remove the barriers to advanced learning that schools can sometimes create.
(1) Fischer, Christian. Scientific American, Gifted Children: How to Bring Out Their Potential, September, 2008, http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=coaching-the-gifted-child,
(2) Gallagher, J.J. Teaching the gifted child. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, 1985
(3)Berger, Sandra L. Mentor Relationships and Gifted Learners. Reston, VA: ERIC Clearinghouse on Handicapped and Gifted Children, 1990.
Make a Difference
Imagine having an impact on young people who are just starting to explore the career and educational path you have already traveled.
You can make a difference by:
• Providing a forum for them to apply and strengthen their knowledge and skills in an area of study
• Increasing their understanding of the field
• Nurturing their passion for a specific subject
• Sharing your time and expertise
• Fostering their development of interpersonal, leadership, and creative problem-solving skills
How EXPLORE Mentors Benefit
Past mentors report the following professional and personal benefits from working with EXPLORE Externs:
• Helping young people gain real-world experience in the field
• Viewing the research or project from a fresh perspective
• Potential contributions to and assistance with one’s work
• Fostering personal teaching skills
• Staying in touch with new aspects of the field
• Having an opportunity to interact with bright high school students which provided perspective on personal experience
• Fulfilling a requirement for obtaining government funding by conducting educational outreach
How Mentors Are Matched with Mentees
Applicants submit a portfolio-based application which includes letters of recommendation, essays, sample work, academic transcripts, standardized test scores, a professional resume, and their top 3 career fields of interest. Applicants also go through an interview with IEA staff.
Overall Responsibilities
• Commit to working with a student for 3 to 6 weeks over the summer (for 5 to 8 hours, Monday through Thursday)
• Design a hands-on project(s) or research work for the student which can be completed (or on which visible progress can be made) by the end of the program
• Provide support and constructive feedback on student’s performance and project development
• Openly communicate with the Program Coordinator regarding a student’s successes and challenges
Mentor Qualifications
Qualified Mentors for EXPLORE are:
• Passionate about continuous learning and self-development
• Interested in engaging and working with advanced and gifted youth
• Willing to actively participate and commit to fulfilling mentor responsibilities for the entire duration of the program
