Responsibilities of a Mentor

[Rick TYler]

Originally Posted by FourPenguins

The issue of mentor involvement in robot design and construction has been beat to death, so that's not what I'm asking here.

Instead, I want to know what CDers think about the duties of a mentor. What are their responsibilities when it comes to running the team? Chaperoning the team? Teaching the students? Who should spearhead fund raising efforts? Corporate relations? Public relations?

A recent event (that I think better left undisclosed) has made me wonder what everyone thinks of a mentor's responsibility. Where does the balance lie between a mentor's duty and a student's? Where does the blame fall when things are left undone?

The job of the Coach/Lead mentor is the same as any other CEO -- make sure all the important things get done. The lead mentor is the plate-spinner-in-chief, the person who makes sure that someone is getting the job done. It takes time to build a team of adult volunteers and to integrate students into a program. The lead mentor identifies the absolute minimum things that HAVE TO get done, and makes sure they do get done, and encourages others to pursue their passions in doing the necessary and the nice-to-have. If no one wants to do the nice-to-have responsibilities, they simply don't have to get done. On any youth robotics team, the things that MUST get done include building a working robot, getting the paperwork done, raising the money, finding a place to meet, directing the scheduling process, and making sure there is enough mature guidance to help the students do their best. EVERYTHING else is optional, and depends on the quantity and quality of mentors and students.

I could go on about this for a few dozen pages. Was there something that you were specifically interested in?