Data In Action Mentor

Summary

Join SureStart's Data in Action summer program as a part-time remote mentor! This paid opportunity (20 hours/week, $35-40/hr) runs from July 1st to August 8th, 2025. You'll train and support high school students in data science and participatory action research, helping them build a final data science project. The program includes mentor training and ongoing support. This role is ideal for undergraduate or graduate students in relevant fields passionate about teaching and community empowerment. You'll gain valuable leadership experience, professional development, and networking opportunities while making a real-world impact.

Requirements

• Applicants must be recent graduates or currently enrolled as an undergraduate, Masters or PhD student in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Data Science/Analytics, or similar fields
• Passionate about teaching and mentoring younger students; especially invested in mentoring underserved students in science and technology
• Passionate about community empowerment
• Applicants must be proficient in programming; Python required
• Willing and able to commit up to 20 hours per week for 8 weeks. The first two weeks will consist of mentor training, followed by six weeks of mentoring high school students
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Must be available to Participate in required paid mentor training (30-35 hours) in June (exact dates TBD)
• Mentoring Across Differences training from 5:00-6:30PM on June 9-11th. (paid time)

Responsibilities

• Train, support and encourage a small group of students as they develop data science and participatory action research skills using the program curriculum
• Help them use those skills to build a final data science-based project to complete the program
• Day-to-day you will interact with your group of trainees through regular meetings
• Keep your group accountable for finishing their prior day's tasks
• Help unblock them when they are stuck by pointing them to resources, showing them how to debug code and/or giving them helpful hints to discover the answer on their own

Preferred Qualifications

Some familiarity with Participatory Action Research preferable, but not required

Benefits

• You will deepen your technical skills (look up 'protege effect')
• Work on exciting, challenging and incredibly rewarding work critical to the future of ethical data activism
• Build up your CV with real-world leadership and management experience - years ahead of your classmates!
• Get trained in mentorship and professional skills, including communication, self-branding, entrepreneurship, equitable leadership, and more
• Attend technical skills talks by industry professionals
• Learn about Participatory Action Research as a framework for community-driven data collection and action
• Be an integral part of an impactful movement towards opportunity, equity and representation
• Valuable networking opportunities with industry leaders within enterprise, tech and academia