KAS Mentor Match 2023 Pilot

Starting in September, KAS is piloting a Mentor Match program. If you are a STEM professional, student, or teacher, you can participate. We're making 30 matches this year and seeking funding to build the program. If you fill out the Application below, we can't guarantee you will get into the pilot this year, but if not, we'll save your contact info for the next round.

Sign up for one of these kinds of Mentor Match:
K-12 Teacher                                           <==>          KAS Scientist (Graduate/Professional)
Middle or High School Student      <==>          KAS Scientist (Graduate/Professional)
Middle or High School Student      <==>          Undergraduate Student in STEM
K-12 Science Club                                <==>          KAS Scientist

Middle & High School Teachers

Sign up for yourself: Would you like a scientist Mentor who might help answer your science questions or help with a special project in your classroom? Would you also like to help a scientist understand more of what you do teaching students?  Sign up to get your own mentor!

Fill out the Mentor Match Application

Refer a Middle or High School Student: We’re asking Middle School or HS teachers to identify students who show some special STEM curiosity or aptitude, and who are unlikely to have access to STEM professionals or role models in their lives. We are not looking to match up a whole class each with their own mentor. We are not looking for the students with the highest grades, necessarily-- but students who could benefit from some extra STEM in their lives. Sign up to get a mentor for a student who could benefit!

Fill out the Mentor Match Application

Scientists: If you'd like to serve as a Mentor for a student or teacher, Fill out the Mentor Match Application . Please specify if you have a preference. If you haven't signed up for our Speakers Bureau, we'd love for you to do that! Log in at the KAS website  and check your profile to see if you've filled out that form.

Fill out the Mentor Match Application

Undergraduates: Near-peer mentorships can be of great value. Would you like to serve as a mentor for a middle school or high school student?
Fill out the Mentor Match Application

Guidelines & Best Practices for Mentors & Mentees (Thank you IEEE and NRMN)

DO

• As a mentor, motivate the mentee to identify their own issues and goals and help them to find ways of resolving or reaching them – not by doing it for them, or expecting them to ‘do it the way I did it’, but by understanding and respecting different ways of working
• Be the bridge to connect the mentee with other professionals that would provide personal growth and development, and social and economic opportunities
• Approach each mentor-mentee differently. Take this opportunity to develop long term relationships

DON'T

• Mentors do not provide counseling or therapy

MORE

Career Development Training videos  from the National Research Mentoring Network