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Being a PROMISE Mentor

Information for potential PROMISE mentors

Mentors serve as guides by facilitating learning and providing direction for the PROMISE intern.  The mentor-mentee relationship helps to build rapport, trust, and shared power allowing the team to co-create a robust, transformative learning, eight-week summer experience.  

PROMISE is important for OSU and Oregon communities because many PROMISE alumni become leaders in Oregon and beyond.  This is also a powerful way we continue to build OSU’s great community and network of professionals.  Also, many of our previous mentors have developed long-term working relationships with their interns, and even continued interns on for hire post-internship. Internship sites will contribute $2,500 for the student's Experiential Learning Award.

The internship begins on June 26 and ends on August 18. 

Mentors have a separate application, click here for the application.

Application Deadline is Tuesday, March 7 by 4 pm PST

The process to become a mentor
  • Complete application
  • Selection to be mentor made by PROMISE program committee
  • Students review potential PROMISE projects
  • Students and mentors meet to discuss projects
  • If student and mentor have a match, the student secures a mentor approval form
  • Student applies to program and the program committee selects the cohort

PROMISE mentoring begins at the first contact between the prospective intern and mentor at the initial meet and greet workshop.

Successful PROMISE mentorship includes:
  • Ensuring the ongoing time commitment to adequately support a student
  • Flexibility and adaptable to the needs and outcomes of the project
  • Using a direct communication style and providing active, constructive feedback throughout, but especially at the midpoint and end of project evaluations
  • Facilitate thoughtful project management that allows students’ to shine
  • Willingness to develop a meaningful relationship with a student
Successful PROMISE projects...
  • Alignment with the goals and values of the PROMISE program
  • Focus on a challenging learning experience and growth potential of the student
  • Projects that provide a challenging learning experience with a reasonable opportunity for success and realistic project outcomes in 8 weeks
  • Encourage and support the PROMISE professional development activities 
PROMISE Program Revisions

The PROMISE program has undergone several revisions throughout the last year to better fit the needs of mentors and students while providing a valuable experience. Click here to view the new 2017 changes to the program.