Think back to before you started college. Think ahead to starting your college experience. Whether you are thinking back or thinking ahead, you know that experience can sometimes feel overwhelming, and it really helps to have someone who has been there himself to help you along. The Upward Bound program at the Museum has helped first-generation college-bound students every year since 1999, helping to prepare them for college, specifically in fields related to science, technology, engineering, and math. The Museum hired 10 mentors for Upward Bound (two of which are former Upward Bound participants) who will work with the students all summer, helping them with the program’s science curriculum, providing personal mentoring and advice, attending field trips to learn about South Florida marine environments, and assisting with the students’ final projects. These new mentors participated in a weeklong Mentor Training to prepare for their responsibilities working in the program. During the training, they even used a seine (a kind of fishing net to scoop organisms from the water) in the waters off of Virginia Key Beach to observe marine wildlife – including a puffer fish!
