RAYTHEON TECHNOLOGIES & MENTOR RI
Mt Hope High School &
Raytheon Technologies and Mentor Rhode Island
Strategic Partnership Director
TASK: Initiate a project for eight high school CTE Engineering students that would confer the state-required hours and industry mentors.
SPECIFICS: Create a program that would give students future employment options with a large company.
OUTCOME: The Raytheon Mentoring Program paired 30 students with 30 mentors, far exceeding the original proposed number of eight. The feedback was so positive that it even garnered attention from the ABC6 News: Stem Mentoring Goes Virtual Amid Pandemic
Additionally, the project was featured in an article on Raytheon Technologies' national website, it was also hailed as a model for the rest of their organization, Raytheon: Delivering on a Promise. Furthermore, it was also spotlighted by national education transformation companies including Digital Promise
My Role with Raytheon Technologies & Mentor Rhode Island
It was a goal of mine to make contact with Raytheon. I wanted the students to develop long-lasting mentor relationships, so they could have potential opportunities for employment at Raytheon. To achieve that, I partnered with Mentor RI to help broker the relationship.
Working with Mentor RI, we co-developed a STEM curriculum, advertised to students, mentors and facilitated information sessions for parents, community members and Raytheon employees. Due to heavy recruitment, the program capped at thirty students and thirty mentors, instead of the original number of eight for each. The interest had been so strong that we wanted to ensure each student who signed up received a mentor.
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When it launched mid-February, the excitement filled the school bus. The students gathered at Raytheon to meet their mentors and the energy in the room was palpable. Three weeks later, COVID-19 became a reality, and the program nearly became an early casualty of the pandemic. However, in talking with the students, I knew they needed to keep the connections. I reached out to Mentor RI and Raytheon and asked how we could pivot. We brainstormed and asked students for their input. Two weeks later, we all convened on Zoom and ultimately expanded the program. Together, we enhanced the curriculum, incorporating these new student suggested topics:
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An Engineers Journey to Raytheon
Robotics and Small Group Mentoring
SAT Prep
How to Build a Resume and Network with Raytheon Human Resources
Essentially, when students were left with no after school activities, the Raytheon Mentoring Program gave them an outlet to learn and connect. During such an isolating time, they and their mentors would chat via Zoom and discuss the intricacies of Engineering and business. The program was so successful it was even featured on the local evening news.