SUMMER Mentors
Join the 2026 Summer Mentors Program
Be the person kids remember
Remember the camp counselor who made you feel like you could do anything? The librarian who got your sense of humor? The coach who saw something in you before you saw it yourself?
This summer, you could be that person
The Summer Mentors Program trains college students to work with kids in Wyoming communities—building relationships, sparking curiosity, and creating the kind of belonging that changes lives. You’ll gain real skills, earn money, and spend your summer doing work that actually matters.
What’s included
💰$600 stipend (on top of whatever your summer job pays you)
🎓Professional training in youth development and relationship building
🤝A statewide network of mentors doing the same work across Wyoming
📦$500 in materials/resources for your program
✨Experience that counts (meets undergraduate internship requirements)
💡 Plus, you’ll have stories worth telling for years
📘Download the full information packet!
How to apply
Applications open on Tuesday, January 20. Email Emily, emilyv@wycf.org, to receive a notification when the application drops.
Spread the word
Do you know someone who would be an amazing Summer Mentor? Share the one-page flyer and encourage them to apply!
Program Schedule
Winter: The application period for the 2026 Summer Mentors opens on Tuesday, January 20, 2026! For more information or to receive notification of the application opening, please contact Emily Vercoe, emilyv@wycf.org. We can’t wait to hear from you!
Spring: A one-day in-person training will be held in April in Laramie at the Innovation Wyrkshop, a makerspace on the UW campus. Participants will build their network and learn about positive youth development.
Summer Professional Development: In May, June, and July virtual sessions offer mentors additional strategies for working with youth from fabulous experts in the field, reinforce and build on the in-person content, and continue to be a place for reflection and celebration of all that comes with working with youth. Virtual sessions will run between 60 and 90 minutes each. Some pre-work, group discussions, and other activities will be included. We will do our best to find a time that works for the programs that host mentors to minimize time away from youth.
Virtual session content will include:
Effective facilitation strategies – such as:
- Mentoring
- Asking questions and active listening
Youth development strategies – such as:
- STEM and lifeskills
- Positive youth development
- Experiential learning
Positive STEM identity – both for the mentor and youth in their care:
- Working through own identity
- Build brokering strategies
- STEM content – place based, inquiry, real-world learning
Fall: A one-day in-person closing session will be held in August in Laramie before the beginning of UW’s fall semester to help Fellows celebrate their work and synthesize their experiences. We expect Jamaal to return for this session.
This schedule is subject to change!
Summer Mentors Reflect on Their Experience
I want to be able to help provide these opportunities for young people in my community. Many of the students I have worked with in the past have a love for STEAM. I want to help nurture this passion and give them more opportunities. In my hometown, I was the only girl who loved my science classes and wanted more opportunities. Abby C., 2024
I think that exploring helps teach us how to learn. It reminds us that it is okay to not know something and to ask questions. Exploring reminds us that learning can be fun and exciting, and it can create a passion for life-long learning. Exploring also teaches us how to think on our own. When we’re out exploring and asking questions, we don’t have a teacher to turn to that will know all the answers. Alayna, 2024
It is exciting to me that I can be a guide to students in my community and allow them to grow into their best selves. Ray, 2024
The program has been supported in part through the Stem Next Foundation. When out-of-school-time STEM experiences are intentionally and thoughtfully woven into a workforce development system, more youth will be excited about STEM, grow their interest and skills, see themselves as belonging in STEM, and be prepared to pursue STEM careers and beyond.
Mission: We bridge the gap between Wyoming’s out-of-school programs and the communities they uplift, fueling them with resources, support and opportunities that inspire lifelong learning, growth and connection.
Family of Funds
