Illinois Green Schools Project

Mentor Info & Registration

Applications for the 2025-26 Mentor Volunteer position will be open July 7 - July 25

A group of people are standing in a room with pipes.

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, plan, and implement a yearlong sustainability initiative. Mentors play a vital role in reviewing and completing the IGSP Sustainability Workbook in Stage One of the program, and check in regularly through Stage Two to support implementation. 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

A group of people are standing around a table in a classroom.
Three worksheet documents are displayed
A group of people are standing around a wooden plank.

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.
  • Assisting in the completion of the IGSP Sustainability Workbook (defining terms, providing context, etc.)
  • Visiting their school in person for an audit or walkthrough.
  • 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. 


A group of people are sitting at a table with laptops in front of a large screen.

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 and provide guidance, resources, and encouragement to their green team as they implement their chosen sustainability project.



Time Commitment:
Once an IGSP Mentor is paired with a school (sometime between July-September), they are expected to assist their school until May. With mentor support, schools work 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 school advances to implementation and promotion stages of the program, from February to May. Mentors help with project management and community relationship building. 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 IGSP Sustainability Workbook. 
  • Provides project management support to school throughout Execution Stage.
  • 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. 

Ready to apply to be an IGSP Mentor?

First, confirm your Illinois Green membership status.

Volunteers must have an active Illinois Green Alliance membership by the time they are paired with a school.

Next, download and complete Illinois Green's two required conduct & policy forms.

To be considered as a mentor for the Illinois Green Schools Project, download and complete the forms below. The mentor application includes a file upload request where you can submit your completed forms.
Returning volunteers:
If you have previously participated in the Illinois Green Schools Project, you must still re-complete and submit these forms each year.


Finally, fill out the IGSP Mentor Application Form below:

The IGSP Mentor Application Form requests details about your professional sustainability experience, and includes a file upload to submit your completed forms.

IGSP Mentor Application Form

Registration for the 2025-26 Cohort is open until July 25, 2025!

Create your own user feedback survey