Thank you for offering to mentor a team.

In this approach, students drive the learning, teachers facilitate, and subject matter experts inspire and inform by simply listening to students, offering advice, and empowering students. Mentors do not teach, create content and curriculum, or handle classroom management.

Industry mentors (SME) provide real-world insight into their industries related to the problem statement or project challenge.  This may include the basics of things like project management, teamwork, leadership, and other crucial elements separate from your technical expertise. Mentoring can come in many ways:

Guiding research and helping students find the most appropriate resources

Leveraging a network of professionals to inform the topic

Offering suggestions that connect current industry considerations/questions to future careers

Being a supportive cheerleader while also pushing the students to aspire beyond what they might initially think possible.
 
                                                      Weekly Classroom “Visits”

Student teams and their facilitating teacher will work on the project throughout the week, but mentors are only expected to “visit” (either in-person or virtually) once a week for at least 1 hour to answer questions and encourage student’s progress. Any additional interaction with teams is up to your discretion, and may be a combination of synchronously via conference calls, in person,  or asynchronously via emails or shared docs with the facilitating teacher. Each mentor will work with the facilitating teacher to design the best mentorship schedule for your team.

With the help of Dr. Matula (NASA Johnson Space Center) we have developed a "Best Practices" guide to mentorship.  Meaningful Mentors: A Presentation by Dr. Matula: https://www.onevoice4change.org/copy-of-marvelous-martian-mentors