“I wish all schools provided such an opportunity! Our youth would be very different if that were the case.”
— Melissa Schlag, Climate Advocate with Save the Sound and mentor to James Burke ’20
Welcome! If you are reading this, it means that you have been asked by a Watkinson senior to mentor them on their Senior Project.
You may still be considering it, or you may have already agreed to do so.
This site provides information about what the role of mentor looks like at Watkinson. Click on the tabs below. And thank you for your interest in helping our students.
What are the Senior Projects all about?
Seniors at Watkinson inhabit a unique place in the school community. They represent the school’s most capable students, having derived the benefits of their education over time and in depth. Through the Senior Projects, each student uses their intellectual and creative abilities to do their best learning, and to present that learning in ways that demonstrate their growth, skills, and habits as thinkers.
Seniors are enrolled in a course called Senior Seminar. In September, they each articulate and hone an Essential Question that will fuel a year-long project. These projects allow students to explore of areas of personal interest, passion, and curiosity that reside beyond their academic experience.
Each student is tasked with finding the perfect mentor for their project. It is the student’s responsibility to make initial contact by email or phone and to communicate what their project is and what they are looking for in a mentor.
This year-long process of inquiry, research, experience, work, and reflection culminates in two things:
1. the creation of a final product (object, research paper, website, work of art, etc.)
2. a final, public, assessed exhibition (Senior Exhibitions)
What am I expected to do as a mentor?
As an expert in your field, your role as mentor is to provide a structured, consistent, and purposeful relationship with the student. Over the course of the six months, you will be asked to listen to, provoke, and guide the senior through the development of their project.
There is no one-size-fits-all description of how the mentorship should unfold. We understand that the needs of each project and the nature of each mentor’s area of expertise can vary dramatically. That said, here is a basic framework.
Help students focus and define their work
When a student’s idea is too general, you can help them to create realistic parameters for their ideas. Your particular knowledge and experience can help the student consider possibilities they aren’t yet capable of generating on their own.
For example, a student saying they want to “make a short film” will need assistance focusing on the aspects of the project that are possible and feasible based on time, prior knowledge, learning curve, access to materials and equipment, etc.
Feedback
As the student progresses in their work, they will rely on you to check that their understanding of the field is deepening and to guide them to produce real, quality work.
Contacts and Resources
You might recommend the “must read” book or other resources in your field. You also might suggest colleagues or other people the student should consider interviewing for their research.
You are NOT the project manager
We emphasize this strongly. The Senior Seminar teachers take responsibility for monitoring student progress and helping students set, manage, and meet deadlines. In the event that you have a concern about your student's project or the direction of their work, the teachers are here for you.
What is the time commitment?
The overall time span of the mentorship is roughly six-months. It begins when you and the student agree to work together. This usually happens in November or December, but can also happen in January or even early February. The mentorship continues through the first week of May, when Senior Exhibitions are held.
How much time you actually spend with the student can vary. Below is a general outline.
PLEASE NOTE: If any individual aspect of the schedule gives you pause – for example, you may be traveling during the two weeks of experiential learning – let us know. Our foremost desire is to support a student and mentor who really want to work together and help figure out how that can happen.
Nov/Dec 2025
Once you and the student have agreed to work together, the student will reach out to you to create a schedule of meetings and check-ins for the duration of the mentorship.
Nov/Dec 2025 through early May 2026
Students check in with you, either in person, on Zoom, or on the phone. Depending on the project and your availability, these check-ins could be weekly, every two weeks, monthly, or could follow a schedule unique to the individual situation.
February 2-13, 2026 – Two weeks of Experiential Learning
The student is released from their academic classes during these two weeks. You provide the student with experiential learning during this time, which could look like one of the following:
meeting with your student and supervising them at your place of work
if you freelance or work from home, scheduling more frequent meetings, creating assignments for them, and offering guidance around the making of their final product
This experience may likely be the first time the student has ventured into the workforce in a meaningful way.
Mid April, 2026 [Exact date TBD]
The student's final product (object, research paper, website, work of art, etc.) is due. This is a helpful deadline to know as a mentor.
April 30, May 1, 4, 5, and 7, 2026 – Senior Exhibitions
You are invited to attend the student’s Senior Exhibition and serve on a panel of evaluators who assess the presentation. The contribution of your perspective to the overall conversation as mentor and expert is invaluable to the process. (Participation is, of course, based on your availability.)
Who at Watkinson supports this progam?
Ken Schmoll is the main point of contact for administrative and logistical issues. He coordinates the onboarding of mentors and also organizes the Senior Exhibitions.
Christina Bernbach, Rob Deitelbaum, Stacy Donovan, and Ryan Reese are the Senior Seminar teachers. They each teach a cohort of about ten seniors.
Your student’s Senior Seminar teacher will reach out to you at the beginning of the process to welcome you, and will be your point of contact for student- and project-related questions for the duration of the mentorship.
Is there paperwork that I need to fill out?
Watkinson School is committed to providing a safe learning and working environment that is free from violence and unlawful discrimination, sexual abuse, and harassment. All adults who interact with our students through school-sponsored activities and programs are required to:
complete a background check
read, acknowledge, and abide by our Sexual Abuse Prevention Policy
complete a short online training course
These steps help ensure the safety of our students, allow the school to meet legal and insurance requirements, and will provide you with current and important information about your role as a mentor, including the school’s policy around abuse prevention and reporting.
Questions?
Contact Ken Schmoll, coordinator of Senior Projects, at (860) 570-8141 or kenneth_schmoll@watkinson.org.