SCIENCE MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

Information For Coordinators And Teacher-advisors From Participating Schools

Participating schools normally provide a group of teacher-advisors headed by a coordinator. He/She performs the following roles:

a)Liaise with GE Branch on all matters pertaining to SMP

  • e-mail correspondence
  • attend two coordinators’ meetings a year

b)Support teacher-advisors

  • brief teacher-advisors on their duties
  • co-ordinate and monitor projects allocated to pupils
  • approve reimbursement of expenses to teacher-advisors, where applicable (capped at $500 per project including $50 for poster)

Teacher-advisors are the participants’ counsellors and coaches. They monitor participants' progress by holding regular consultations and where necessary, provide participants with

  • appropriate support, advice and counsel
  • managerial assistance such as time management and time scheduling
  • mediation between mentors and participants

Information For Coordinators And Mentors From Participating Institutions

Participating institutions normally provide a group of mentors headed by a coordinator. He/She sits on the SMP Executive Working Committee and performs the following roles:

a)Liaise with GE Branch on all matters pertaining to SMP

  • e-mail
  • attend two working committee meetings a year

b)Support mentors

  • brief mentors on their duties
  • collate project proposals, research report, and feedback from mentors
  • approve reimbursement of expenses to mentors or payment to suppliers (capped at $500 per project)

Mentors from institutions are the participants’ role models and coaches. They provide expert guidance in supervising the project, edit and approve the research paper for publication. They also provide resources, support and encouragement to participants.

When proposing projects, mentors should bear in mind the following:

a)Scope of the Project

The SMP participants are required to spend an average of 3 hours per week (Feb to Jul), including the first two weeks of June (full time) on the project. This amounts to approximately 150 hours on the project.

b)Work site

Projects proposed may be carried out at the laboratory within the institution or the school.

c)Milestones

The milestones in the 2015/ 2016SMP Workplan for mentors to note are:

  • Nov – Dec 2015: Submission of Project Proposals
  • Jan 2016: Selection and Allocation of Projects
  • Jan – Feb 2016: First meeting with mentee(s)
  • 12 Feb 2016: SMP Launch
  • Feb2015 – May 2016: Pupil attachment (3 hours per week)
  • *First 2 weeks of June 2016: Pupil attachment (full time)
  • July 2016: Vetting pupils’ research paper
  • 12 Aug 2016: Submission of research paper to respective institutional coordinators
  • 6Sep 2016: SMP Plenary & Poster Judging
  • 17Sep 2016: 22ndYouth Science Conference

*Mentors who are not available during the first two weeks of June may arrange with SMP participants to complete the two weeks of full time attachment for any other period within the June holidays.