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Be a mentor for a DBA student!

Have fun, guide a young person, and feel good.

 

Mentors play a large role in the success of the Digital Business Academy.

They work closely with the students, helping to bridge the gap between the school and work world.

Students are all high school juniors, age 16-17, enrolled in the Digital Business Academy.

Program Information

The Digital Business Academy at Milpitas High School is continuously recruiting mentors.  Our mentors come from several local companies, all committed to helping the local community in some fashion.

Now in its eleventh year, the Digital Business Academy's mentor program has had the involvement of over 250 mentors from 41 local companies, working with approximately 325 students.

A mentor meets with his or her mentee at least once a month from November through June. Mentors provide job shadowing opportunities, interview skills, and other career preparedness training. They are also welcome to provide other educational and social experiences if interested. Each mentor's role will be slightly different, depending on the individual student's needs.

 

Anyone in a professional career can be a mentor. Students have diverse skills and interests in addition to computer technology and graphic design. Past mentors have come from nearly every area within an organization. The main requirement is a desire to share their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm. The time commitment from mentors is minor, but the positive effects on our young people and future employees will certainly last a lifetime.

 

Please contact Diane Kung, Mentor Coordinator, for more information.


Milpitas High School Digital Business Academy
1285 Escuela Pkwy, Milpitas, CA 95035
Phone:  408.945.2458  Email:  dkung@mhsacademy.org

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Mentor Event Calendar 2007-2008

Mentors should make every effort to participate in an activity once a month with their mentee.  Activities listed in bold are program events that all mentors and mentees should try to attend.

 

A suggested curriculum for the year is below.  However, feel free to adjust the activities you do with your mentee based on the desires of you and the student.  Non-career-focused activities are welcomed, as well as other career-related activities that you and the mentee come up with on your own.  Also, feel free to plan group activities with other mentors and mentees.

September/October/November: Mentor Recruitment and Preparation

·         Mentor Activity: Mentor Trainings for new mentors*

·         Trainings will be held Thursdays throughout November. They take 45 minutes to an hour, and will be held in room G-10 at Milpitas High School

·         Trainings will be offered any time between 4:00 PM and 6:30 PM.

·         Please contact Diane Kung at dkung@mhsacademy.org to schedule an appointment.
If you cannot make it on a Thursday, please contact Diane Kung for an alternative time.  

November: Student preparation and Get-to-know-you activities

·         Mentor Match-Up: Tuesday, November 27; Lunch  

December: Activity 1: Get-to-know you activities/College exploration

·         Go on a college tour (School day fieldtrip to a college TBD); OR

·         Attend a college basketball game; OR

·         Discuss your own college choices; OR 

January: Activity 2:  Work Exploration - (Students will be job shadowing at the end of the month through school)

·         Internet/Newspaper job search – educational and experiential requirements for different jobs vs. a cost of living analysis;   OR

·         Company tour/job shadow; OR

·         Discuss different company environments/Research a "dream company" with your mentee

·         Optional Group Activity: group coffee discussing career paths, decisions about choosing a career. Date and time TBD.

·        Optional Group Activity: Intel Museum and Tour.  Date and time TBD. 

February: Activity 3: Explore other options. Careers are fluid.

·         Continue College or Work Exploration

·         Explore colleges and college majors – research other jobs that can stem from a chosen major; OR

·         Go on a different college tour of a different type of school (junior college, private college, a UC college, or a Cal State school); OR

·         Introduce your mentee to another employee and compare/contrast job requirements, tasks, education needed.  Have your mentee check out another company to see how things are run there. 

March: Activity 4: Internship Ideas.

Students will begin preparing for summer internships during this month. Using the activities you've already completed with your mentee, help him or her decide on goals for an internship (i.e.: try out their computer skills, see what a particular company environment is like, get more exposure to what a particular job involves). You may do one of the following things:

·         Help students brainstorm types of things they could do for an internship;

·         Write out goals for an internship;

·         Help students craft an "Objective" statement for a resume;

·         Help students find contacts at a "dream company" to send a letter to;

·         Help students with ideas for a letter requesting an internship.

 Optional Group Activity: Wacky Awards: March 4rd 7:00 PM.   

Optional Mentor Activity: Mentors-Only Mixer/Drinks. Date and time TBD.

April: Activity 5: Resumes, interviewing, and/or internships (Students will be participating in mock interviews this month through their computer class. They will have to create resumés, dress professionally, and "interview" with a local business professional)

 ·         Encouraged: Discuss resumes and interviewing – how to sell transferable skills, how to sell yourself, mock

·         interviewing

·         Encouraged: Set up a mock interview

·         Continue working with your mentee on internship ideas for the summer.

May: Activity 6: Program Closure Luncheon

·         Mentor Appreciation Luncheon: May 25th, 11:00-12:30

June: Optional Activity: Academy Awards OR choice of mentor and mentee

We thoroughly understand when a mentor cannot participate in a planned event. After all, many events are held during school hours which, for most mentors, are working hours. Our suggestion: In addition to letting us know, PLEASE LET YOUR MENTEE KNOW WHEN YOU CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN AN EVENT, so that he or she does not expect to see you there. If you cannot participate during the scheduled time/date, please plan an alternate activity as close to that date as possible so you do not miss a meeting with your mentee during that month.

*Required of all mentors. Mentors who cannot attend the training must make other arrangements to meet with the mentor coordinator prior to the match-up. 

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Activity Ideas

*All activities during the school day require an Off Campus Pass  to be submitted. 

  • Touring the mentor's company, introducing the student to co-workers, showing him/her typical work areas and jobs, etc.

  • Getting together for lunch or inviting the student to special company activities (e.g. presentations, picnics, sports activities).

  • Discussing potential careers in the student's field of training or interest.

  • Discussing basic features of holding a job (punctuality, reliability, dress, speech, attitude, getting along with co-workers, etc.)

  • Visiting another site of interest, such as another company, a job fair or a technical show.

  • Working on a subject area the student is having difficulty with (tutoring is an optional activity).

  • Taking your student to a professional/civic meeting.

  • Preparing students for interviews for summer jobs and maintaining contact to discuss problems that may arise on the job.

  • Discussing plans for college.

  • Attending school activities with your student/mentee, especially ones in which your student participates.

  • Volunteering to do a presentation in your mentee's class - have the student assist you.

  • Helping students apply for scholarships for further education.

  • Sending holiday/birthday cards, notes of encouragement.

  • Encouraging student to develop a "Career Plan" .

  • Escorting him/her to a local college/university campus.

  • Discussing books on technical subjects.

  • Working on a project together (e.g. assembling a kit, developing a brochure, videos, samples, etc...)

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Mentor Requirements

  1. Fingerprinting: We need to have each mentor fingerprinted by the Milpitas Police Department for safety purposes.  The Academy will pick up the cost for this, we just need you to make an appointment and have it done at least two weeks before you meet with your mentee.  Click here for appointment information.

  2. Reference checks: We will need contact information for 3 references.

  3. All mentors will need a TB test for health safety reasons.  Each mentor is responsible for getting this done on their own time. Medical Centers are listed here.

  4. Each new mentor will have to have a very short interview with Heather Giovanola, the Mentor Coordinator.

  5. All new mentors have to attend a training session.

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Mentor Application

This Mentor Application can be mailed to Diane Kung at the address below or emailed to dkung@mhsacademy.org. All information will be kept confidential. 

 

Click on the links to download and print your forms.

The Mentor Application                

or

contact Diane Kung at dkung@mhsacademy.org

Applications can be mailed to c/o Diane Kung, Milpitas High School, 1285 Escuela Parkway, Milpitas, CA 95035.

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Troubleshooting Guide

Click on the link below to download and print your copy.

The Mentors Troubleshooting Guide

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