Mentors
A key aspect of the outreach program design is the inclusion of mentors to serve as tutors and guides at every level of the pipeline.
Mentors support the students and assist with coursework and enrichment activities. A mentor is one who can provide instruction which can stimulate interest and achievement in science, provide a model of academic success, help students to form supportive peer groups for academic achievement, and provide both personal and academic assistance.
The college mentors are responsible for supporting pre-college and college students who are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. Mentors are typically selected from members of Undergraduate SSTRIDE © , as well as, the Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences degree program.
Some of the mentor duties include:
- Tutor in all academic subjects
- Mentorship for personal and academic growth
- Attend professional development workshops
- Participate in or facilitate study groups
- Participate in service learning leadership training
- Work closely with the Outreach coordinators to provide the best learning atmosphere for their mentees.
In-school program mentors collaborate with SSTRIDE © teachers to create a hands-on learning environment for students.
The outreach program begins at the middle school level and is offered as a science elective. Each in-school program is taught by selected science teachers at each of the targeted middle schools, but for Leon county all elective courses are taught by the same instructor. Furthermore, teachers are assisted by undergraduate premedical students from Florida State University, Florida A & M University, Tallahassee Community College, North Florida Community college, University of Central Florida, as well as post-baccalaureate students from the FSUCOM Bridge program and first-year medical students from FSUCOM. These students serve as teaching assistants, tutors and mentors for all local and rural SSTRIDE © programs. The overall structure of SSTRIDE © works within the existing curricular and programmatic academic course offerings of Collier, Gadsden, Okaloosa, Orange, and Sarasota Public School Systems. It provides a comprehensive model program of interdisciplinary science education improvement, student development, intervention, enrichment and support.
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