A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

Hewlett-Packard Company:
HP E-Mail Mentor Program

The Hewlett-Packard (HP) E-Mail Mentor Program was launched in January 1995 to help students in math, science, communication, and career/education planning. HP employees from around the world are matched with 5th?12th grade students and a pilot group of students at the University of Arizona. Currently 1,100 students are being served in the United States, Canada, Australia, and France. Each student is matched with one employee in a telementoring relationship that is supported by a supervising teacher who guides the student and mentor as they work on academic projects throughout the school year. Telementoring was the vehicle selected because it allows thousands of students and employees to form productive mentoring relationships that would not exist under normal circumstances. The Internet and related technologies represent a potential to match thousands of students with successful business professionals—the first time in U.S. history where this has been possible.

Benefits for Students

HP mentors help students understand what it takes to be a successful professional in today's business world. Through these exchanges with industry professionals, students develop a concept of education that goes far beyond the traditional classroom. Seeing how math and science are used at HP every day strengthens the students' sense of relevance of these subjects to their academic careers and the professional world.

"Students become frustrated with math and science, especially when they do not see the connection to how it might be of use to them in the future," explains HP mentor Mary Jones of Loveland, Colorado. "Nothing helps change their attitude better than talking to someone who uses science and math theories to create useful products. Of course, every student won't need to work in an R&D lab, but all students will need to know how to efficiently prove their ideas in practical ways. What better way to teach this skill than to have them practice with math and science?"

For students in remote areas of the country, these discoveries can change their perception of what life and their future hold for them. For example, a female high-school student in Palmer, Alaska, was interested in medical research, but felt limited by her remote location and the lack of scientists in her area. Through correspondence with her HP mentor, she is now developing a research topic, making connections through e-mail with scientists who are interested in her specific area of research, and applying for a scholarship that may enable her to conduct this research.

Benefits for HP Mentors

HP employees enjoy the program for several reasons. Participation in the program:

• provides a sense of personal reward from helping students excel academically and personally;

• develops a better understanding and appreciation of the educational needs of today's students and teachers; and

• enables their involvement in K-12 education without leaving the HP site and with minimal time commitment (less than 10 minutes per day).

The Future of Telementoring

Based on the demand for the HP E-Mail Mentor Program, Hewlett-Packard has decided to create an International Telementor Center by partnering with the Mid-Continent Regional Education Lab in Aurora, Colorado. The center, which will open in 1998, will allow many corporations, small businesses, and professional organizations to get involved in telementoring. The goal of the center is to serve a minimum of 10,000 students per year within the first five years of operation. The HP E-Mail Mentor Program will be administered thrmmough thmism center.

Contact:

Bess Stephens
Education Program Manager
Hewlett-Packard Company
3000 Hanover Street
20BU, Palo Alto, CA 94304
650-857-2857
www.mentor.external.hp.com
www.telementor.org/charter

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[Corporate Experiences]

[Arthur Andersen & Co.]