The ideal 8th Infantry Illinois National Guard Association Internship Mentor is one who is committed to working with youth to help them develop professional and interpersonal skills. The successful Mentor must provide interns with regular supervision, and make a point of helping youth learn new and useful skills. To the extent possible, we want youth to feel ownership of their projects and programs. We want youth to develop increasing amounts of responsibility.

As a Mentor you will learn about different aspects of environmental work through opportunities to attend trainings, participate in meetings, and attend networking opportunities.

- Recognize interns as an integral part of the team.
- Provide a safe and encouraging workplace for interns.
- Coordinate intern paperwork, and administer intern payments as needed.
- Provide an opportunity to gain practical experience under professional leadership.
- Provide a formal and professional orientation program.
- Educate you about association programs and facilities, resources, policies, & administration.
- Encourage you to engage in leadership opportunities when possible.
- Provide training opportunities and support for interns.
- Provide intern supervision and enforce association Intern Policies and Procedures when necessary.
- Provide regular feedback about how you can improve your performance, and provide opportunities for your feedback on how to improve the program.
- Provide you with references for college, enrichment programs, or other job opportunities
- Provide youth with referrals in times of crises.

- Agreement to aid 8th Infantry Illinois National Guard Association Interns with exploration, design, and documentation of internship experiences.

- Guidance for the intern concerning readings, professional organizations, and other materials related to this internship, which may help enhance the experience.

- Validation (through signature, phone calls, meetings, written narrative, etc.) of the documentation the intern creates about the time in this internship

- Written evaluations of the intern's progress (including a letter of reference at the conclusion of the experience)