MAPS Student and Parent Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The MAPS program is committed to helping students taking Advanced Placement Program® classes excel. Students participating in MAPS will receive additional tutoring, be challenged, learn more about possible careers and have the opportunity to make professional connections that will serve them well into the future.

1. Why Advanced Placement?
2. What is the time commitment?
3. When do students meet with mentors?
4. What exactly do mentors do with students?
5. What subjects are served by MAP?
6. What skills do mentors have?
7. What are the benefits of participating in MAP?
8. What is the program timeline?
9. Is MAPS right for you?

Why Advanced Placement?

Advanced Placement Program® classes are among the most rigorous courses high schools offer. Research shows that students who take the AP® Exam(s) are more successful in college than students who don’t. Furthermore, AP® classes give students a leg up in college admissions and may even give them free college credit. The MAPS program helps students make the most of their AP® experience.

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What is the time commitment for students?

We know that students are busy, and therefore we have strived to make the time commitment reasonable. Students commit to:

• Meet with mentor two to four times per month for one to two hours at a time
• Maintain ongoing email or phone contact with mentors as needed
• Attend, if possible, occasional special events
• Total student time commitment is 20-40 hours per year

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When do students meet with mentors?

Each group determines what works best for them. Some groups meet early in the morning before work and school begins, some in the evening. Some mentors along with MAPS teachers coordinate special Saturday study sessions, or make arrangements to meet with MAPS students in the evening to attend lectures on related topics. Each group ends up finding what works best for them. The student’s AP® teacher will help set-up and facilitate the first meeting.

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What exactly do mentors do with students?

MAPS mentors focus on providing activities that tutor, challenge and mentor the students. Here are some examples of past MAPS activities:

Tutoring:

• Answering student’s homework questions
• Emailing additional problem sets for students to review and practice for AP® Exam(s)
• Helping students identify areas in which they need to focus their study
• Reviewing practice AP® Exam(s)

Challenging:

• Setting-up an in-depth exploration project with students (for example, a mentor developed an ongoing exploration of calculus in nanotechnology)
• Bringing additional hands-on experiments and activities for students to work on (for example, a mentor brought in a chemistry experiment that involved making a liquid with magnetic properties)
• Sharing current work projects that relate to topics covered in AP®
• Linking current events to AP® subject matter

Mentoring:

• Developing relationships with students
• Sharing information about careers that use the subject matter
• Connecting students with professionals working in their field of interest
• Discussing college applications and decisions with students, or even writing a college letter of recommendation
• Hosting a company tour
• Sharing information about various occupations in your field
• Taking students out for a lecture and pizza

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What subjects are served by MAP?

The MAPS program is currently focused on the following AP® subjects:

• Calculus
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Physics
• Statistics
• English Language and Composition

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What skills and experience do mentors have?

Mentors have a desire to share their expertise with high school students and a mastery of the subject in which they mentor. All mentors must first pass a criminal background check for the school district in which they will be mentoring. The also attend a MAPS program orientation and mentor training.

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What are the benefits of participating in MAP?

Benefits to students:

• Extra tutoring for students who are struggling
• Deeper understanding of content for students who know material well
• Chance to explore careers
• Exposure to real world applications that makes the material come alive.
• Opportunity to begin building a network that can help with future college applications and career exploration
• A chance to have fun learning!

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Timeline

September:

Mentor meets AP® class, students turn in MAPS applications, and mentoring begins!

September-May:

Mentor meets with students for two to four hours per month

May:

End of year event

Occasional additional MAPS meetings or special events

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Is MAPS right for you?

If you want to succeed on the AP® Exam(s), explore careers, and make connections with professionals, while having a lot of fun, MAP is an option for you!

For more information:

Address: P.O. Box 2338, Vancouver, WA 98668
Email: info@apmentoring.org
Phone: (360) 718-1603