Apply for the Orlando AIGA Mentor Program

The AIGA Orlando Mentor Program is designed to match qualified AIGA student members with professional AIGA members to provide the student with guidance in creative and personal growth. This is achieved through one-on-one meetings and correspondence and is culminated in the student’s development of portfolio-level work which is ultimately exhibited at the AIGA Spot exhibit. The winner of Spot will receive a $500 scholarship. The AIGA Orlando Mentor Program spans the Spring semester of one school year.

December
Professional members are solicited to share their experience by participating in the program. Concurrently, students gain access to program applications via local colleges and technical centers, as well as the AIGA Orlando website.

Once the deadline for student applications has been reached, mentor committee evaluates and selects students to participate. Students are matched to mentors with similar interests and experiences. Mentors and students attend initial meeting and overview of program is presented by the board committee. Mentors and students develop objectives and a time table for meetings and correspondences.

January
All mentors and students meet as a group to discuss progress.

March
All mentors and students meet prior to AIGA SPOT exhibit to discuss preparation of work to be submitted. Mentors should be an active member of the Orlando chapter of AIGA and be employed or retired in the field of graphic design, communications, visual arts, digital or interactive media or a related area. They will provide encouragement, motivation and suggestions for the creative process and project management. Mentors will also offer guidance in the completion of projects and portfolio pieces and, if appropriate, they may also assign projects. They should meet or correspond with students on a regular, predetermined basis at a minimum of once a month to accomplish goals set by the student and themselves. If desired, they may also provide visits to the workplace or job-shadowing.
Students must be enrolled in graphic design, art, communication, digital or interactive media or related courses at a community college, university, or technical school during Fall and Spring semesters. They must have previously completed at least 30 credit hours towards their major and, if accepted into the Mentor Program, must be an active student member of the AIGA for the duration of the program. Students will provide their mentor with an overview of project objectives assigned by an instructor or personal project goals. They should have regular interaction with their mentor during the process of completing these projects or portfolio pieces. Students should also provide their mentor with feedback as to personal and career growth. Each student involved in the Mentor Program must furnish a progress report of activities on a monthly basis to the Education Chair.

You can download the forms here. Completed student forms should be returned by either email (education@orlando.aiga.org) or by mail to: AIGA Orlando Education, PO Box 2505, Orlando, FL 32802. Please direct all inquiries to education@orlando.aiga.org

Project
The Urban Forest Project started in 2006 to create awareness about sustainability. The tree is a metaphor for sustainability. Mentor and student pairs are to create posters and a totebag reflecting each student’s take on the metaphor or form of the tree to make a powerful visual statement on posters. Students will be guided through the concept and design process and exhibit both at SPOT. All final posters will be printed and distributed. The winning designer’s bag will be printed and distributed.