Mentors

The amount of time you spend with your student will vary with your availability. As a guide, the time commitment usually averages around an hour a week for the duration of the program (February to October), but the frequency and timing is negotiated with you, the student and the Convenor. 

The typical arrangement is that the student and mentor meet once a fortnight to discuss the project. Students are required to send an email 1 - 2 days prior to scheduled meetings outlining their progress and questions that they have raised. This will then set the agenda for the meeting. During non-meeting weeks, students may raise questions with you via email. 

The goal is for students to design and carry out and investigation based on an area of their interest. You would then help the student to refine their idea into a viable research question, guide them through appropriate methods, and support them in accessing resources or data where needed.  

Some mentors prefer to offer specific projects in fields where students may find it difficult to develop a research idea on their own and need more guidance to form a viable question.

The program convenor is an experienced ACT high school teacher and will be able to help the group to clarify expectations and ensure that projects are appropriate for their year level. To see past examples of student investigations, you may like to view the Past Reports page.

Yes, each fortnight students are to attend an online writing workshop. During these workshops, students will be taught fundamental academic skills such as accessing and reading published scientific papers, reviewing the literature, and a detailed breakdown of the each of the sections of a typical IMRaD report. You can see an overview of these sessions on the Writing workshop schedule page. These sessions are designed to guide the students' progress throughout the duration of their investigation.

Students are encouraged, where possible, to use the typical laboratory equipment available in the classroom laboratories (e.g. glassware, scales, microscopes) or to borrow from the Academy of Future Skills (e.g. carbon dioxide, temperature, pH sensors).

If the investigation requires specific equipment, the you may request that the student carry out the experiment at your professional laboratory. This can be organised through a Work Experience (WEX) placement to allow experimental work to be performed under your direct supervision. Students will need to adhere to specific requirements of behaviour and scientific rigour throughout their experimental work, keeping detailed records of all methods and results.

Each mentor is required to hold a current Working With Vulnerable People registration. This is free of charge for volunteers (and continues to be so for 2026). To apply for registration, please follow the process at the Access Canberra website Apply for or renew a WWVP registration. This application is $157 for those registering for paid work, but is free for volunteer work only. Be sure to check the option that applies to you.

Science Mentors ACT partnership meetings can run from one of our two classroom locations:

• Melrose High School (south-side)

• University of Canberra Senior Secondary College Lake Ginninderra (north-side)

A rotating roster is used to ensure flexibility in days and locations, which can be viewed on the 2026 calendar. Typical hours of availability for meetings are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm. The convenor is on hand at all meetings to provide educational feedback and advice where needed.

An in-person meeting is required for the initial meeting/s but many partnerships then utilise online meetings to reduce travel demands. To ensure safety online, the convenor is to be in attendance at all online meetings. If the meeting is scheduled during non-work hours, then a parent/carer may supervise in place.