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University of Washington Information School

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iMentorship

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Four images of students holding "thank you" signs.

Become a mentor to an Informatics or MSIM student!

The mission of the iMentorship Program is to support students in the iSchool’s Bachelor of Science in Informatics and Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) programs as they pursue their professional dreams by enabling each student to work closely, one-on-one, with an information professional who can provide insight, guidance and support, and can help the student jumpstart a professional network.

The program runs each year from October through April.

iSTAMP offers mentorship opportunities for students in the iSchool’s Master of Library & Information Science (MLIS) program.

iMentorship overview

The mentor’s role is to help their student navigate choices surrounding their career direction and plans. The student is responsible for defining and articulating what they hope to achieve from mentorship, and mentors facilitate activities, connections and discussions, as best they can, that align with the student’s goals. There are no mandatory activities; each pair is able to create a unique program.

We’ll begin signing up mentors in mid-September, and pairing begins in October. After a mentor is paired with a student, the expectation is that they will connect approximately every other week between October and April. However, the meeting frequency and logistics are at the discretion of each pair. A virtual mentor appreciation event in mid-April marks the end of the program. Watch a recording of last year’s Mentor Appreciation Event.

Become a mentor

Registration for the 2024-25 mentorship program is closed. 

Frequently asked questions

What is the time commitment?

The time commitment is approximately 10 hours for 1:1 meetings between October and April. The expectation is that pairs will meet every other week for about an hour but this may vary based on the student’s goals. For example, some pairs may decide to meet monthly and use the other monthly meeting to introduce the student to someone in the mentor’s network. There may also be times, perhaps if the student has an important interview coming up, when a pair will opt to meet weekly for a period of time. Mentors may also need to spend time outside of the 1:1 meetings for activities such as reviewing a resume or business plan.

Who will I be mentoring?

Our program supports the Bachelor of Science in Informatics and Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM) programs, so you could be mentoring a student from either program. Students from these programs share an interest in using information and technology to improve organizations, with a strong focus on equity, inclusion and social responsibility.

Students who are in their final year of study are given priority, but the program is available to all Informatics and MSIM students on a space available basis. Mentors are able to specify if they would prefer to support a student from a specific program, or would like to work with someone close to graduation or on a longer timeline. These preferences will be taken into consideration when we are pairing students with mentors.

I’m a recent graduate. Can I be a mentor?

Absolutely! Recent grads can be terrific mentors for students who wish to be paired with someone who went through the recruiting process recently.

I’m not an iSchool (or UW) alum. Can I be a mentor?

Of course! We welcome participation from anyone in an information or technology field who wants to support a student. Our non-alums enrich our community!

I don’t live in the Seattle area. Can I be a mentor?

Yes! Remote connections can be as strong and impactful as local connections and we have seen great success with mentors supporting students from locations far and wide. Also, several of our students want to relocate, so those in different locations or who have relocated themselves can be extra-special mentors to these students.

Are the meetings remote or in person?

Mentor and student pairs are able to determine what works best for them based on their locations, schedules and personal preferences.

For more information

Contact Laura Schildkraut at laurasc@uw.edu if you have additional questions about iMentorship.

News

Mason Koh, Kai Andreic, Asad Jaffery, Joshua Williams and Vaibava Venkatesan

Students develop tool to track kudos among co-workers

Wednesday, May 28, 2025
In today’s fast-paced work environment, managers often look for tools to make their jobs easier. For someone managing a large team, wouldn’t it be nice to have a tool that regularly provides summarized feedback about each employee?...
Read more
Students (from left) Harman Zhang, Sara Duan, Justin Dong, Noa Avitan and David Pham

Informatics team helps music streamer earn money for artists

Thursday, May 22, 2025
For a music creator, getting paid by listeners around the world should be as simple as a fan clicking “subscribe.” But for many artists in less developed countries, existing streaming platforms make that difficult or out of reach.An...
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Events

May 28
 
4:00-5:00PM

MLIS Law Librarianship Information Session

Zoom / Online
May 29
 
5:30-6:30PM

iSchool Library Leadership Spotlight Series: Melody Sky Weaver

Virtual
May 30
 
11:30-1:15PM

Faculty Meeting

Bloedel Hall 070
Jun 2
 
12:00-1:00PM

MSIM Mid-Career Last Chance Q&A

Zoom / Online
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