The William and Mary mentorship model: College students as a resource for the gifted

The William and Mary Mentorship Program for gifted and talented students is a cooperative effort involving the College, local school districts, parents and students. Enrichment programs for gifted students in grades eight through eleven are provided by selected college students who serve as mentors for one semester. Public school students, in consultation with their resource teacher of the gifted, select an area of interest and are matched with college students who possess skills, knowledge and experience in that area. The program, now in its fifth year of operation, is based on a twelve‐step mentor model developed by faculty in the School of Education. Excellence has been demonstrated by an analysis of formative and summative data collected during the past four years. The article concludes with a set of recommendations for developing a program which utilizes the talent of college students as potential mentors.