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High-school volunteer — Junior STEM Mentor onboarding

Program: Apex STEM / Ridge Racers Junior Mentor Program

Who this is for: A high-school student (e.g. WHRHS junior/senior) who helps younger team members with STEM coaching — CAD, research, design, testing, documentation — under adult supervision. You are not the responsible adult.

Also see: Logistics-only helper below if you only help with packing, booth, or setup (no mentoring younger students).

Adult supervisors: Session Supervisor onboarding — not this page.

Policy (draft): Volunteer policy · Waiver: waiver & media release procedure

Apply: Junior mentor application template · Print / email: welcome template

Owner: team_lead · Adult oversight: one adult (18+) Session Supervisor every session — HS mentors never count as adults (supervision model)

← Start here

Minors & supervision

  • You coach STEM in open groups — an adult (18+) is always the responsible person. You are not a supervisor, even if you are mature.
  • Typical session: one adult + you (and younger students) in a visible space — that is OK if rules below are followed.
  • No private one-on-one mentoring, rides, or unsupervised meetings with younger students.
  • No private DMs — use parent-visible team channels or Freedcamp with adult oversight.
  • Complete waiver & media release before first activity (parent signs — you are also a minor).
  • Background checks apply to adult Session Supervisors in Phase 3 — not student mentors.
  • School-affiliated volunteers: team_lead confirms district clearance before on-campus work.

Pick the right path

Situation Start here
Junior STEM Mentor (help younger students with CAD, design, etc.) This page + Junior Mentor Program
Adult Session Supervisor Adult supervisor onboarding
Logistics only (packing, booth — no mentoring younger students) Logistics-only below
Registered team member (design/build/present) Student guide
Adult technical coach Mentor guide

Before your first day (team lead → student mentor)

Send the volunteer and parent/guardian:

  1. Junior mentor application + program overview.
  2. Calendar — next 2–3 dates from season calendar.
  3. Waiver / media release — per waiver procedure (parent signs).
  4. Session Supervisor — name of the adult (18+) present; backup adult on call if only one adult in the room.
  5. Communication — parent-visible channel only (Freedcamp / team email); no private texting with younger students.
  6. Service hours — confirm if NHS or school documentation needed (program plan).

Also:

  • [ ] Freedcamp invite for assigned tasks (note: project access may show other tasks — assign minimal comments).
  • [ ] Do not invite to docs.apexstem.org by default — see Access.

Your role (Junior STEM Mentor)

You help younger students learn STEM skills. Session Supervisors and mentors handle safety, attendance, and parent communication. Younger students still own competition deliverables (STEM Racing student-led rules).

OK for junior mentors Not your job
CAD, research, design help in open group with adults present Final car design or machining without mentor + student sign-off
Testing support, documentation, presentation coaching Sponsor asks, pricing, or CRM
Task tracking in Freedcamp (adult oversees) Treasurer / fees / receipts
Taking notes in meetings (no contact info in notes) Private one-on-one mentoring or messaging
Service-hour participation (logged on sign-in sheet) Operating power tools, chemicals, or shop equipment alone

Tools: Adults control sharp tools, adhesives, power tools, and chemicals — you may help with CAD and organization only.

When unsure: ask the Session Supervisor, team lead, or on-duty mentor.

Logistics-only (no STEM mentoring)

If you help with packing, booth, or setup only (not mentoring younger students):

OK Not your job
Setup / teardown pit, tables, signage STEM coaching of younger students
Carry, pack, label gear Sponsor asks, money, roster data
Photos/video when mentor approves Private contact with younger students

Same adult-present and waiver rules apply. See Volunteer welcome template.

Week 1 checklist (volunteer)

  • [ ] Read this page and team hub
  • [ ] Waiver & media release completed (parent signs if under 18)
  • [ ] Know meeting location, time, and adult Session Supervisor for each session (plus backup on call if solo adult)
  • [ ] Joined agreed communication channel (Freedcamp / email — team_lead confirms)
  • [ ] Skim meeting checklist if attending team meetings
  • [ ] Bookmark STEM Racing rules if you will be at a competition venue
  • [ ] Understand no secrets in chat — no student emails, sponsor amounts, or passwords in threads

Week 1 checklist (team lead)

  • [ ] Add volunteer to private roster Sheet (name, role, parent contact if minor) — not git
  • [ ] Waiver on file per waiver procedure before shop/event
  • [ ] Assign 1–3 concrete Freedcamp tasks with due dates
  • [ ] Pair with mentor or parent for first two sessions
  • [ ] Confirm no docs.apexstem.org login unless board + admin approve exception (Access)
  • [ ] Volunteer onboarded per volunteer policy (draft)

Access (docs portal)

Default for high-school volunteers: Freedcamp + email/PDF only — no wiki login.

Need Recommendation
Event/packing help Freedcamp + calendar — team_lead emails or prints checklist
Written runbooks Email PDF/link from team_lead or mentor — not whole-site Access
Exception Board + admin only; whole-site login exposes finance/governance in search (rbac-groups)

Group apex-volunteers is not wired in Cloudflare Year 1 — do not assign until path split exists.

Sign-in uses the invited account on Cloudflare Access. Do not use shared board@ aliases.

Safety & conduct

  • Follow Session Supervisor instructions; an adult must be present — you are never the only supervisor.
  • Open group only — no closed-door one-on-one with younger students.
  • No private messaging with younger students; use parent-visible channels.
  • Report injuries, bullying, or boundary issues to team_lead and a board officer immediately.
  • Do not share team locations or student schedules on personal social media.

What to read (short list)

Topic Link
Junior Mentor Program Program plan
Team hub Ridge Racers NJ
Season dates Season calendar
Public team story ridgeracersnj.com
Freedcamp how-to Freedcamp for mentors

Packing runbook: ask team_lead for excerpt — wiki login not required.

Offboarding

When the volunteer stops helping:

  1. Freedcamp — removed by Freedcamp admin (technical admin or team_lead — confirm on integrations).
  2. docs.apexstem.org — if an exception login was granted, admin removes Access same day (rbac-groups).
  3. Roster Sheet — mark inactive; do not delete waiver PDF from Drive (retention per board policy).