FAQs about Mentoring

What are the benefits of being a mentor?

Being a mentor allows you to make a positive impact on the lives of young people. You will be a role model and guide to a student who is passionate about your field of work. Through genuine relationships, mentors teach work ethic and model what it means to be an adult member of our community. Our mentors have expressed profound personal and professional fulfillment through their work with our interns. In addition, being a mentor gives you the benefit of an intern who will contribute real work, and who will bring new perspectives and solutions to your organization.

What are my responsibilities as a mentor?

Each mentor should demonstrate a commitment to their intern’s personal growth and workplace learning. Here are some important responsibilities of being a mentor:

• Communicate regularly with the student and their advisor (teacher).

• Develop a schedule and learning plan with the student.

• Share resources and knowledge with the student, and provide opportunities to learn by doing.

• Set high expectations for the student, and hold the student accountable.

• Collaborate with the student on LTI Project ideas that will be beneficial for your organization.

• Evaluate the student’s performance at the conclusion of each semester.

• Attend the student’s annual exhibition on campus.

How much of a time commitment am I making?

Students attend internships on Tuesdays and Thursdays for 4 to 8 hours each day. Schedules are decided by the mentor and the student, and dependent on the mentor’s needs and the student’s transportation. We ask that you host the intern for a minimum of one semester (generally between 10 and 18 weeks, depending on when the intern starts). At the end of the semester, the student, advisor, and mentor evaluate the internship together, and decide whether to conclude the experience or to continue. Some interns stay at their internship only for one semester, while others stay for a whole year or longer. Each is a case-by-case situation, but we do ask for an initial one-semester commitment.

What is an LTI Project? 

An LTI Project is an authentic project that the student intern develops as part of their internship experience. The goal is for the student to build knowledge, skills, and abilities at the internship site, and then apply these toward the creation of a deliverable, product, or event that will benefit the internship site and/or the larger community in a meaningful way. As a mentor, your role is to assist the student and advisor in developing ideas for an LTI Project, and then provide resources, coaching, and ongoing assessment to help the student successfully complete the project.

What resources are available to me?

We support our mentors in any way we can. The student’s advisor (teacher) is your primary point of contact for all questions. Advisors are required to visit your site once every four weeks to observe the student at work. During those visits, we ask that you be available to provide some feedback about the student’s performance, and to voice any concerns. In addition, the Met’s internship coordinator is also available to help, and can offer trainings as needed. 

Are students insured through the school?

Yes. Our school district carries workers’ compensation and liability insurance that covers students away from school, between the hours of 7am and 7pm (up to 8 hours per day). We also evaluate the safety of internship sites and make sure the environment is suitable for a young person.

How will students get to their internship site?

It is the responsibility of the intern to get to and from the workplace, and the school supports them by providing free bus passes and assistance in planning their trips.

What if the intern is consistently late or behaves unprofessionally?

Interns are at their internship for real world learning. Treat students as you would an employee, but understand that they are teenagers, and for many of them, this will be their first work experience. Though they will strive for professionalism, they will need support and coaching. Set the standard you and your company expect, and please contact the advisor for support if a student is not meeting that standard.

What if I am away from the job?

If you know in advance that you will be out, please let the student and advisor know. The three of you can decide the best course of action (e.g., having the student work with another employee, having the student take the day off, etc.). It is also helpful to establish a course of action for the student for times when you are out unexpectedly. 

Can I pay the student?

No. The student is getting a hands-on education from you, which is worth a great deal! However, we encourage our mentors to consider hiring our students after their internship concludes, either for summer employment, or a part-time job during the school year (evenings and/or weekends).

Can I have more than one intern?

We sometimes have more than one intern at a site, but it’s best if each intern has their own dedicated mentor. There are responsibilities of mentoring that are difficult to extend to more than one student.

What do I do if there’s a problem?

You will have contact information for your intern’s advisor, as well as the school’s internship coordinator. We ask that you contact us immediately if you are experiencing a problem.