[kpugh]

Perhaps you could bring in a prospective mentor just to give the students a mini lesson on something they will undoubtedly encounter and possibly struggle with over the six week period (i.e. drive trains). Once they see just how complex things can be and get just a taste of the kind of knowledge they can obtain from experienced professionals they just might change their minds about the virtues of having mentors.

Maybe the students are under the impression that mentor is synonymous with teacher. They may think that a mentor will just be one more person to lecture at them while they are trying to have fun. What they must realize is that a FIRST mentor is so much more. Granted they are there partly to teach but mostly to inspire. So few people get an opportunity like this that it is a shame to see any possible part of the experience not taken advantage of.