Along the way, students gain new insights into biology and other sciences. Since its founding, EnvironMentors has supplied mentors to more than 1,000 students from 17 high schools in five cities. Funding the program today are the EPA, other federal and state agencies, and private organizations. Then it advertises for mentors in a variety of public service announcements and on the Internet. Mentors are drawn from government agencies, including EPA, engineering firms, and state and local agencies.
Students enroll voluntarily.
The mentors provide academic support for two hours a week, primarily during class throughout the school year. The staff of EnvironMentors meets with the mentor pairs one to three evenings a month to help them design scientific projects. They provide test kits, lab equipment, and analytical materials. The staff can also arrange summer internships. In one, students surveyed the consumption of toxic fish in a section of Baltimore.