Mentors
To be a mentor, we are not necessarily looking for those with extensive STEM based careers. Most importantly, we are looking for patient, kind and thoughtful adults that have a passion for helping young people.
Your own experience from your working life could be in finance, HR, legal, support- it really doesn’t matter, so long as your commitment is to help understand young people and encourage them become a little bit more confident and able to communicate with adults, due to your involvement.
Whether you choose to mentor the year 9 and 10’s or the year 7 and 8’s, the challenges can be similar. Their concentration may be limited, their skills undeveloped and their willingness to learn can vary hugely depending on the day they have just had. Your dependable help and guidance is what will really make the difference for these students.
Although the programmes are STEM based, there is also a strong life-skills component woven in. Part of this is the ‘Ten Best Self’ points that we introduce to students and ask mentors to encourage them to follow these on a weekly basis. They are:
- Be respectful to others and you will be respected
- A firm handshake will show confidence
- Eye contact will show honesty
- A please and thank you are simply polite
- Hats and caps are for outside only
- A thankyou in writing will always be valued
- Always reply to texts with at least one whole sentence
- Show up
- If you are on time, you are probably late
- Be kind, smile, laugh often and make it fun for everyone