No teacher or parent knows all things about all topics. When a project requires expertise outside the teacher s or parent s experience or equipment outside the school s budget, a mentor is recommended. Mentors can be found in a wide variety of locations. One of the obvious places is a university or local community college, but don t be afraid to contact professional organizations, high technology corporations, state departments, local branches of federal organizations, hospitals, laboratories, power companies, etc. If a mentor cannot be found directly at one of these organizations someone can usually recommend other contacts.
Many companies encourage their employees to assist in community projects.
Science Fair projects usually count toward this community service. When you contact a company or organization simply introduce yourself and explain that you need a mentor to help you with your project. Have a brief outline of your project at hand so that you can mention all of the important points. You may get bounced around to a couple of different offices, but don t get discouraged. Always remain polite and persistent and you ll get to the person you need.