Experiment: (I was not able to actually preform this experiment for various reasons, but this is what I would do to test my prototype and see if it would work).

GSU Photography Department has sponsored me, Shepherd’s Delight, and given me a set budget to fund this mentorship program.

During their first semester of the academic year this is taking place on I will find 5 mentors (most likely current GSU grad students studying and working in photography) and 5 – 10 mentees (most likely undergraduates with a serious interest in perusing photography at GSU and elsewhere). In this experiment because it is GSU, mentors would be paid $15/hr and mentees would be paid $8/hr. Mentors and mentees would be paired based on similar photography interests and similar schedules. 

During the second semester, is when the mentorship with actually occur. Mentors will meet with their mentees in various (and appropriate) times and places on campus and around Atlanta depending on what shoots a mentor is doing or what the mentor is trying to teach their mentees. Mentees will help their mentors as if they were an assistant to their work while also being able to ask questions, network with those at a shoot and learn any and every piece of equipment and skill they come across.

After the semester of mentorship is over, not only will our mentors and mentees have earned some money, they will have also gained experiences in every way. Mentors will have learned how teaching others better, collaborate with those who know less than them, and will have had one or two people extra to help them with their work. Mentees will have learned hands-on experience with new/different equipment, photography procedures, locations, lighting and will have gained new professional and networking skills as well as new connections in the form of their mentors and others they worked with during the process.

How does this help GSU you may ask. This mentorship helps GSU in a multitude of ways. If mentees had a good experience with the mentorship, not only will they most likely continue to study photography at GSU, their skill level in photography will have gone up as well as put their experience with the program on their resume, social media, etc. This means that GSU will continue to make money from the classes these students continue to take, and these students will also most likely use their newly found skills in the coming years to participate in GSU related photography shows/competitions. This all around will raise the bar when it comes to GSU arts and eventually/hopefully will get the school more funding in general or for the arts because of the program.