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Aerospace Digital Mentoring Program
The
program funded by FSGC's Aerospace Workforce development award
and implemented by Florida Space Research Institute (FSRI) is
designed to provide high school students who have a
space-related research project (in addition to physics,
aerodynamics, and other traditional aerospace topics, research
can be in biotechnology, life science, botany, or another
not-obvious discipline, if there is a potential space-based
application or research connection) with mentoring by an adult
uniquely qualified in the student’s area of interest.
Potential mentors include career aerospace engineers,
astronauts, university professors/researchers, and technical
specialists.
The
student’s communication with the mentor is primarily
accomplished via FSRI’s Advanced Learning Environment (ALE)
online web board capabilities, however, email, telephone, and
personal contact could also used depending on the nature of
the student’s research project and the desires/resources of
the participants. The ALE’s online space science and
pre-engineering courses can also be used as a resource.The
program is designed to have a duration of approximately 6
months. The FSRI staff will have oversight of the program and
monitor both mentees and mentors for levels of participation,
resource requirements (such as private online conferences),
and internet/contact safety practices.
All
participants in the program are required to make a firm
commitment to participate in the program for its duration.
Those who leave the program for any reason other than
extenuating circumstances will not be eligible to participate
in FSRI/ALE programs in the future.Participants will be
expected to spend a minimum of 15 minutes each week
communicating (emailing, posting to the web board, etc.) with
their mentor/mentee. Additional time spent on the program is
up to the preferences of individual mentors and mentees and
the requirements of the research project.
The
FSGC-FSRI Aerospace Digital Mentoring Program is designed to
provide students with resources they would otherwise be unable
to access and advanced insight into and assistance with their
research projects. The purpose of the program is to increase
student interest in science and technology education and
careers.
FSGC-FSRI
is currently recruiting mentees through contacts within the
Florida Department of Education. Once mentees have been
identified, FSRI will quickly attempt to match them with
appropriate mentors.
If you are a school research
instructor or a student with a school-approved research
project pertaining to space (as described above) who would
like to be a part of the Mentoring program or a potential
mentor with experience to share, please contact us at
aleadministrator@fsri.org or call 1-866-FSRI-ALE
(377-4253).
For
additional details, please don’t hesitate to contact Tom
Cavanagh at tcavanagh@fsri.org.
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