IGSP Mentors

Illinois Green Schools Project

Mentor Info & Registration

Registration for the 2024-25 Cohort will be open September 9 - October 1

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What is a Green Schools Mentor?

A Green Schools Mentor in the Illinois Green Schools Project is a volunteer with a passion for decarbonizing existing buildings and sharing their professional expertise. Green Schools Mentors are matched with schools participating in the Illinois Green Schools Project, to help them investigate and plan for a yearlong sustainability initiative. Mentors play a vital role in reviewing and completing the IGSP Sustainability Workbook in Stage One of the program. Green Schools Mentors should have experience in sustainability and/or green building, and typically have professional backgrounds in architecture, engineering, sustainability consulting, design, building, and more.

*You must be an Illinois Green Alliance member to volunteer

How it Works

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A group of people are standing around a table in a classroom.
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IGSP Mentors can help in many ways!

Mentors provide guidance and support including but not limited to:


  • Assisting in bringing stakeholders to the table for self-assessment discussions.
  • Joining the building walkthrough to shed light on definitions and context for questions.
  • Supporting the creation of a project outline that identifies opportunities and low hanging solutions to get a school started on their sustainability journey.
  • Researching and identifying useful resources for project outlines.
  • Educating their school about benchmarking and how to track and document their achievements. 
  • Helping the team to communicate their goals and accomplishments to the school and broader community.
  • Brainstorming funding opportunities unique to each school. 


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Commitments and Responsibilities

Description of Volunteer Role:

The primary role of a Green Schools Mentor is to guide and assist an assigned school through the IGSP Sustainability Workbook. 


Time Commitment:
Schools will work at their own pace to complete each chapter of the IGSP Sustainability Workbook, from October - January 31st. During this time (approximately 3 months), a mentor and school should meet semi regularly to address the school's needs for assistance and planning support. Once the workbook is completed, the mentor and paired school may communicate any interest and availability for continued support as the school advances to implementation and promotion stages of the program. We estimate that volunteers spend 2-5 hours working with their school each month. Interactions with schools take a variety of forms including phone, email, video conferencing and in-person meetings.


A Green Schools Mentor:

  • Attends the mentor orientation, meet-ups (virtual and possibly in person) with assigned school, and the end of year virtual celebration. 
  • Establishes a system for communication & meetings with their Green Team Leader. 
  • Provides guidance for connecting with a diverse team of stakeholders to collectively gain information and make decisions for the school to move forward. 
  • Provides support and expertise in understanding the questions and context of the self-assessment and walk through documents . 
  • Stays connected to Illinois Green Alliance to share updates. 


Staff Support

Illinois Green is here to make sure that you have an impactful and rewarding volunteer experience. Green Schools Mentors can reach out by phone or email at any time for help communicating with their school, finding resources for their project, or any general troubleshooting needs. 

IGSP MENTOR APPLICATION IS NOW CLOSED

Applications for the IGSP Volunteer Mentor Position are now closed for the 2024-25 cohort.
Please check back in during the summer of 2025 for details about next year's volunteer opportunity!

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