Become a Creative Careers Mentor

ArtCenter’s Creative Careers Mentorship Program connects students with alumni and industry professionals for a 10-week, one-on-one mentorship experience focused on career growth, creative exploration, and real-world insight.

This volunteer opportunity is designed to build meaningful relationships that help students gain clarity, confidence, and direction in their creative paths. At the same time, mentors have the chance to share their expertise, expand their professional network, and help shape the next generation of creative leaders.

Whether you're looking to give back, stay connected, or be inspired, becoming a Mentor is a great way to make a lasting impact.

Benefits of Becoming a Creative Careers Mentor

  • 🌱 Professional & Personal Growth

    Sharpen your leadership and coaching skills by guiding emerging creatives

    Refine your own communication style and ability to give constructive feedback

    Reflect on your own journey and rediscover what motivates your creative practice

  • 🔁 Expand Your Network

    Connect with fellow mentors—a community of artists, designers, and industry leaders

    Meet the next generation of talent—stay inspired by emerging voices and ideas

    Engage with ArtCenter through events, panels, and professional opportunities

  • 💡 Fresh Creative Perspective

    Gain insight into current student work and creative thinking

    Learn about new tools, trends, and platforms that students are exploring

    Co-create possibilities—some mentorships evolve into freelance collaborations or referrals

  • 🏅 Recognition & Impact

    Receive a digital Creative Mentor Badge via Credly to showcase on LinkedIn and resumes

    Be featured on ArtCenter channels as a mentor and creative contributor

    Know your impact—students often report increased confidence, clarity, and success from mentorships

What Mentors and Mentees Are Saying

What Mentors and Mentees Are Saying

  • I think it's wonderful that CPD has created the Mentorship Program as a way of offering more guidance to up and coming artists at Art Center. As an alumni, I know I benefitted greatly from my own mentors in my later terms, who really helped prepare me for a career in the industry. It's great to see that process continued, and I'm incredibly grateful to have been a part of it.

     Mentor, Disney Television Animation

  • The students we've worked with are professional, motivated, and thoughtful. The structure of the engagement is flexible enough that in each case, we've tailored things to accommodate busy schedules. Our internal design team has benefited from the fresh ideas the students bring; we have them present their work as well as provide an external perspective on what we're doing. Interacting with the other mentees and their mentors at the closing reception is another great opportunity to connect with interesting folks across a wide range of industries. I've remained in touch with mentees as they've moved out into successful careers with important organizations. It's definitely worth your time.”

    Mentor, Oblong Industries

  • The ArtCenter mentor program is a great way to connect with the school and get to know a promising student. Besides being really fun, it's gratifying to pass on some of the things I wish people had said to me earlier in my career. Working with a mentee helped me take stock of how much I have accomplished and how much I can learn from younger people in a constantly evolving media landscape.

    Mentor, Common Myths, Inc.

  • The ArtCenter mentorship program is not just an opportunity to connect with a student directly, but it also gives an insight on the education that ArtCenter provides. Having been paired with a very talented and responsive student it allowed me to elevate the bi-weekly reviews to a conceptual level and leave most of the basic academia behind. We picked a school project, early on. It gave us the focus needed to set us up in a professional environment and set goals. I enjoyed the process so much and found it so rewarding that I signed up again this year and I can't wait to see who else is going to sign up for it this year.

    Mentor, Titmouse Inc.

  • The ability to talk to someone who has entered and is navigating the current industry landscape has lifted many of the pressures and anxieties that I had about the industry. I've been able to gain a better view of where my skills may be useful and have a better idea of how I need to organize and plan my last year at ArtCenter.

    Mentee, Fall 2024

  • The professional insight from someone actively working in the industry has taught me so much. What made this different from learning from career panels and industry advice was that my mentor is an individual fairly similar to myself in both work and character. I had a better grasp on my future knowing that she was once also an Art Center student facing the same struggles. Beyond general advice for becoming a professional, I needed to see what someone in my position would and could do. It gave me much clearer and realistic goals to aspire to. 

    Mentee, Fall 2024

  • This was an extremely reflective process. It will be a highlight for me at ArtCenter. Every goal was met, and in the end, I became a more confident artist, learning the steps I must take to transition from being a student to being a professional artist.

    Mentee, Fall 2024

  • I gained valuable insights that spanned both personal development and professional knowledge. On a personal level, I learned about effective communication, self-awareness, and the importance of setting goals. Professionally, I acquired skills related to my field, including industry-specific knowledge, networking strategies, and practical tools that I can apply in my career. Overall, the program provided a well-rounded experience that significantly contributed to my growth.

    Mentee, Fall 2024

Mentorship Program Details

🗓 Program Timeline

The Mentorship Program runs every Fall for 10 consecutive weeks.

  • In Fall 2025, the program kicks off the week of September 15 and concludes the week of November 17.

  • We invite all Mentors and Mentees to a dinner celebration at the close of the program in the month of November.

⏱ Time Commitment

Mentors and mentees meet virtually or in person for about 1 hour per week

  • Scheduling is flexible and based on mutual availability

  • No outside prep is required, but we encourage mentors to share insights, feedback, and resources based on the mentee’s goals

🤝 Matching Process

Matches are made based on students’ career interests and your background/expertise

  • We do our best to make meaningful matches, though a pairing is not guaranteed

🧰 Mentor Support

You'll receive a Mentor toolkit with conversation prompts and helpful tips

  • Our team checks in mid-program and is available for support throughout

  • Mentors are offered a $200 honorarium as gratitude for the donation of their time

Mentor Commitments

While the Mentorship Program is designed to be flexible and low-lift—typically just one hour of conversation per week—we believe consistency and intention are key to a successful experience. To ensure a rewarding and impactful mentorship for both mentors and mentees, we ask all mentors to commit to the following throughout the 10-week program:

  • Engage Consistently

    Meet with your mentee for approximately 1 hour per week, virtually or in person, based on mutual availability

  • Be Responsive

    Communicate in a timely manner and maintain professional boundaries

  • Offer Insight and Encouragement

    Share your experiences, career advice, feedback on work, and real-world perspective

  • Participate in Program Check-ins

    Provide a brief update at the midpoint and complete a short final survey

  • Support Mentee Growth

    Submit a final written evaluation that highlights strengths and suggests areas for continued professional development

  • Model Professionalism

    Uphold ArtCenter’s values of respect, inclusion, and integrity in your interactions

Earn the Creative Mentor Badge

Mentors participating in the program have the option to earn an official Creative Mentor Badge issued by ArtCenter and Credly. This digital badge serves as a verified recognition of your contribution, highlighting your leadership, mentorship skills, and industry expertise. It can be added to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or personal website as a visual credential.

To earn the badge, mentors must:

  • Confirm their participation in the program

  • Fulfill the four core engagement areas outlined by Creative Careers during the 10 weeks

  • Provide a midpoint update to the Creative Careers team

  • Complete a final program survey

  • Submit a final written evaluation for their mentee, including recommendations for continued professional development

This recognition affirms your commitment to mentoring emerging creatives and supports your own professional branding.

Read More About the Mentorship Experience

Mentorship Program pairs students with mentors: Francesca Liu and Greg Tada

Join the Mentor Pool

Have questions about Mentorship? Please Send Us An Email.