Since IMTS had to be canceled this year and because the majority of students who attend IMTS are from the state of Illinois, we are bringing resources specific to students in Illinois to our Experiences platform. As we build partnerships like this in other states, we will add them to our site. We are actively asking subject matter experts at AMT member companies to become mentors at schools in their area, especially as students are learning remotely.
The Mentor Matching Engine (MME) is an online collaboration tool powered by the Illinois Science and Technology Institute that links high school students with mentors anytime, anywhere. Through MME, students are able to connect virtually with experts across the world to guide them through long term research projects. The program has been proven to raise student confidence in 21st century skills, with 87% of students indicating gaining communication skills and 88% in project management in the 2019-20 academic year.
Most importantly, MME allows students to develop meaningful relationships with mentors they couldn't otherwise access and gives students a line of sight to future academic paths and careers. MME aims to remove the barriers of traditional mentorship, providing a streamlined path for students across the state of Illinois to receive meaningful feedback and direction, both in their projects and beyond.
For more information about the platform or the program, contact Program Manager Sarah Perret-Goluboff.
To learn more about becoming a mentor on MME and making a direct impact on the lives of students across the state of Illinois, register here.
Follow along with the ISTI story through our Facebook and Twitter, where students showcase projects in the hard sciences and the social sciences. You can also see interviews with current mentors and teacher testimonials.
