Become a Mentor

Cool people mentor. Like really cool people who make a difference.

Mentoring at Islands of Brilliance

Share your creative spark by becoming a Design Mentor for Islands of Brilliance and make a positive impact in the lives of neurodivergent youth.

 

Collaborate in the Creative Process

Islands of Brilliance has many opportunities for creative types and organized types of people. If you have empathy, a dash of patience, and a huge heart, you fit right in at IOB.

Design Mentors should have some experience with Adobe Creative Cloud software, such as Photoshop and Illustrator. We also have students working in Procreate and Blender.

People who love the process of creation and love to collaborate with others tend to really love being design mentors at IOB. You don’t have to be a design professional with oodles of years of experience. We welcome all levels from professional creatives to undergraduate design students.

“You get to genuinely help someone. You get to do something where you’re not the focus at all. You get to help cultivate creativity through positive interactions with students that are just excited to learn new tools to create and finally you’ll make real connections with the students and the rest of IOB  staff. Everyone is open, honest, and wants to help.”
— Mich, mentor and graduate student at UWM
 

Design Mentors work one-on-one with students

As a Design Mentor, you have the opportunity to work 1:1 with students to help them bring their ideas to life. From the initial stages of sketching and designing through to project completion, Mentors guide students through the process while teaching basic skills in creative software and technologies.

But it’s not as much about teaching software, it’s really about forming a connection and guiding students in the making of creative projects.

 

Mentors often find they get as much as they give

“Volunteering with Islands of Brilliance has been a learning experience for me as much as it has for the students I’ve worked with. It pushed me out of my comfort zone (and my cubicle), and partnered me with amazing, talented children. I can only hope my contributions to the program equal what I’ve received from it.”
— Ethan, mentor and Art Director at Margle Media

Design Mentors play an integral role in the learning process and have a profound impact on the students we serve.  The process of mentoring can also have a positive effect on mentors. When we ask our mentors why they work with Islands of Brilliance we have heard that they…

  • Were looking to do something meaningful, impactful, and positive for the community.

  • Like inspiring others to be creative.

  • As creatives, they appreciate differentness and unique perspectives and it is refreshing and home-like to work with and in a community that has that same appreciation.

  • Have fun sharing and playing with creative tools.

  • Are inspired by the student’s creativity and willingness to learn.

Check out what it is like to be a first-time mentor in this blog.

Get Started

Getting involved as a Mentor or Volunteer is easy!  Just fill out our contact form and we will connect with you to learn about your skills, interests, and goals.

Fresh Juice Co.

The Fresh Juice Company is composed of a group of Islands of Brilliance mentors. But it's much more than that. It's a place to meet like-minded individuals who are looking for community, connection, professional development, and a chance to share their time and creative talents.

Mentor Experiences

“Volunteering with Islands of Brilliance has been a learning experience for me as much as it has for the students I’ve worked with. It pushed me out of my comfort zone (and my cubicle), and partnered me with amazing, talented children. I can only hope my contributions to the program equal what I’ve received from it.”

“I always love volunteering with IOB and am grateful I could continue via Zoom from the other side of the country. 🙂

“There is a sense of fearlessness that these kids bring. Once they dig into something that they get excited about, it’s ON! And then it gets exciting!”

Mentor Profiles

Our mentors are as unique and brilliant as our students! It is true magic when they create together. Meet a few of our magnificent mentors!

If you're reading this, you may have questions about being a mentor at Islands of Brilliance…here’s a handy-dandy FAQ!

Interested in joining us as a mentor? Getting involved as a Mentor or Volunteer is easy!  Just fill out our contact form and we will connect with you.

  • A: Being an IOB mentor doesn't mean you have to be working full time in a creative role. In fact, we encourage and welcome all types of skill levels and have seen great success with mentors who have varying experiences. From undergraduate design students to 20+ year creative professionals, everyone has unique perspectives and talents to share. We are looking for individuals with working knowledge of Photoshop, Illustrator, Procreate, and Blender. IOB does not teach software, we guide students in the making of creative projects.

  • A: Let's talk more! We are always looking for volunteers in other areas to help us throughout the year. While you may not be the right person for 1:1 mentoring, you are in the right place if you're looking to help an organization with your time and talents. Especially one as cool as IOB. :) From events to social media to copywriting, we love to find opportunities for volunteers that can leverage a person's experience.

  • A: Mentors are valued members of our IOB volunteer community. We will offer mentors a $100 stipend for each Foundation Workshop series they sign up for as a thank you for continued commitment and service to our students. Each series is made up of 4×90-minute sessions (1 session per week for 4 weeks).

    Please note that participation in the program outside of the workshops (swarm and other networking opportunities) are not paid.

  • A: Yes. Absolutely! You're not alone – many of IOB's mentors haven't had the opportunity to work with students on the spectrum. Each Foundation Workshop is facilitated by a Special Education professional who is there to provide guidance, offer suggestions/ideas, and further assistance to student/mentor pairings. However, you'd be surprised just how little help you may need! Students are there to share their passions with new friends and are more resilient than you may think. Check out this blog post written by a first time mentor on his experience working with students.

  • A: Our current home for in-person workshops is at UWM's Lubar Entrepreneurship Center located at 2100 E. Kenwood Blvd. in Milwaukee. If locations should change, we will inform mentors as quickly as possible.

  • A: Each workshop lasts 75 minutes. There are 5 workshops in a series that meet 1x week over 5 weeks.

  • A: IOB was awarded a significant grant from National Endowment for the Arts to fund the Autism Brilliance Lab for Entrepreneurship (ABLE) at UWM. The lab will conduct research and publish academic articles on the use of creativity and creative technologies as an intervention that creates positive outcomes for autistic youth and young adults as it relates to independence and employment skills.

“This is my favorite part of my week :) ”

— An Islands of Brilliance Mentor