Hemsley Program Announces New Mentorship Initiative

The Hemsley Lighting Programs announces a new initiative, The Hemsley Mentorship Program. The program will provide grants of up to $5,000 to lighting students or recent graduates of a professional lighting degree program to help enable them to apprentice with a professional lighting designer "mentor" for an extended period in their professional practice. The strength of the application will rest on the initiative of the student to contact and partner with the professional lighting designer and to present the independent study as an important step in the young professional's development as a designer. The ability and commitment of the student as well as the professional lighting designer's interest, schedule, and willingness to mentor will be the cornerstone of The Hemsley Mentorship Program's success.

The goal is to foster professional/student relationships and to discover how that unique experience can result in a greater understanding of design and the process of a working designer.

The application and selection process involves an interested student or recent graduate seeking out a partnership with a professional lighting designer who is interested in providing a mentorship experience. Together they would apply to The Hemsley Mentorship Program by submitting a proposal. The student's portion of the proposal would include a resume, a statement of purpose, two letters of recommendation, a detailed description of the anticipated Project, and how it would assist in achieving the purpose of the applicant's independent study, as well as a detailed budget itemizing costs, including transportation, if applicable, and living expenses for the proposed time period. The professional lighting designer would submit a letter of commitment stating that the proposal is one that the designer can fulfill as well as to sign-off on the proposal and budget.

The Hemsley Mentorship Program selection committee will review all proposals. A selected student would be matched with a Hemsley Lighting Programs board member who would monitor their professional progress and budget. At the end of the mentorship period, both student and lighting designer will write an evaluation of the experience.

Final review takes place following the conclusion of the mentorship, when the student and the professional lighting designer will individually submit a description of the experience with guidelines to be provided by The Hemsley Lighting Programs including a final budget accounting.

Previously selected Hemsley lighting interns are not eligible for The Hemsley Mentorship Program. Applications will be reviewed on their individual merits and educational opportunities. The Hemsley Mentorship Program may be used for academic credit at colleges and universities having an internship requirement for completion of their professional design degree.

Primary application deadline is April 15, 2013.

A second application deadline for winter and spring projects is October 15, 2013.

Application materials from both student and mentor should be submitted as a bundled PDF document. For further information and to email completed applications, contact: Alan Adelman at hemsleymentorship@gmail.com.