GRaduation Project
Mentors
Dear Prospective Mentor:
The Graduation Project is a special program which allows students an opportunity to showcase the skills they have developed throughout their education. The Project requires each English IV student to choose a topic; write an 8-10 page research paper on that topic; engage in an activity which is a logical outgrowth of the topic and has a clear connection to the community and showcase the product work in a digital portfolio; create a web page that displays the student’s work on the Project; and, finally, present his or her findings and experiences with the Project in an 8-10 minute oral presentation to an audience of community members utilizing a Keynote slideshow.
This is a challenging program which we believe prepares the students for the workplace and further education. We also believe the students greatly benefit from the assistance of a person from the community, a person called a “mentor.” The mentor is a person who acts as a coach, a friend, an “opener of doors,” a role model, and, therefore, a teacher. You have been selected by a senior at East Rutherford High School to serve as a mentor for his/her Graduation Project. A mentor should be over 21 years of age and should not be related to the student. It is helpful if the mentor resides in a community near the student.
The mentor’s general duties are as follows:
- Be truly interested in the student and willing to dedicate your time to that student’s scholastic success.
- Share your wisdom about the topic with the student and/or help the student gain access to resources on that topic.
- Meet with the student a minimum of four times during the semester to help the student achieve specific goals in his/her Project.
- Help the student make wise decisions about his or her Project and set achievable goals.
We believe that the mentor is a vital part of each student’s success in the Graduation Project and an important part of involving the community in the success of our school. We hope you are interested and excited about fulfilling this role in a student’s education.
If you are interested, please contact us.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Allen or Marla Morgan (Graduation Project Teachers)