MentorNet Gives College Students A Helping HandMentorNet Gives College Students A Helping Hand

Corporations will soon be saying goodbye to their college interns, as students return to college campuses. But for some IT staff, the student/mentor relationship won't end there.

MentorNet, an E-mail mentoring program that connects engineering and science professionals with college women, is gearing up for the fall semester, and aims to create 3,500 pairs of mentors and students. Mentors for the program come from companies that MentorNet has partnered with, including AT&T, Cisco Systems, IBM, and Intel. To participate in the program, students must attend a college or university, or belong to a professional organization that is affiliated with MentorNet.

Beginning later this year, new mentors and students will be able to access online training modules that simulate E-mail exchanges. MentorNet is creating the interactive training scenarios to illustrate common issues that mentors and students are likely to address during the eight-month mentoring relationship. Otherwise, ill-prepared mentors could prevent students from moving on in a field if they don't know how to address issues that concern female engineering and science students, according to Carol Muller, founder and executive director of MentorNet.

Declining participation in computer science courses by college women is propelling the need for mentoring programs and direct initiatives by colleges and universities to attract women to computer science programs, according to a recent study by the National Council for Research on Women. In 1999, women earned fewer than 20% of computer science degrees, and in 1997, women earned 16% of Ph.D.s in computer sciences and 12% of engineering doctorates.

Mentor applications are being accepted at MentorNet through the end of October. Students can begin applying Aug. 15.