This program treats membership like a true partnership. Source: stockimages via Freedigitalphotos.netIf you are looking to become more involved in your community, one of the best ways to do so is to sign up to be a mentor. This is especially true for those involved in the creative design field. Young people interested in pursuing a career in this area often receive limited direction from teachers and guidance counselors as they are often not as familiar with opportunities in this industry and/or art and design mentoring programs available.

For those living in the New York area, the AIGA/NY Mentoring Program helps to pair passionate high school students attending the New York City High School of Art and Design with mentors that are already creative professionals with blossoming careers.

What makes this program unique from other art and design mentoring programs is that mentors are required to make a 3 year commitment to the program as the relationship begins during the student’s sophomore year and runs through graduation. Each pair will spend a minimum of four hours together each month. Because of the accountability that the mentor and mentee have to each other with this program, many of the students go on to graduate high school and receive a higher degree in a creative design field.

If this article has inspired to you learn more about our Designing the Next Generation mission at the Over My Shoulder Foundation, I invite you to contact me, Dawn Carroll, for more information. Also, please be sure to check out our blog for more inspirational mentoring stories and feel free to share your own with us!