SHIELD Mentor Program

About SHIELD Mentor Program

SHIELD Mentor Program is a Piedmont Triad nonprofit organization providing mentoring, leadership development, and STEAM opportunities for young people across Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem, and surrounding communities. We believe every child benefits from having someone in their life who can lead, guide, encourage, and expose them to new possibilities.

One of our primary mentoring platforms is EagleTron, FIRST Robotics Competition Team 9559. Through competitive robotics, young people develop technical skills, leadership, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, career awareness, and experience overcoming adversity. Robotics provides the hands-on environment, but mentoring remains at the heart of the experience.

Our volunteers help young people see possibilities for their futures while also supporting the behind-the-scenes work necessary to operate a successful nonprofit robotics program.

College Volunteers We Need

We are looking for college students from a variety of majors and backgrounds who are interested in mentoring, community service, STEAM education, leadership, nonprofit work, or gaining practical experience. Opportunities include:

• Engineering and Robotics: Mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechatronics, manufacturing, CAD/design, and related majors who can eventually assist with robot design, fabrication, electrical systems, troubleshooting, and competition preparation.

• Computer Science and Technology: Computer science, software engineering, information technology, cybersecurity, data science, and related students who can support programming, robot controls, technology, and technical learning.

• Marketing and Communications: Marketing, communications, public relations, graphic design, journalism, digital media, and social media students who can help tell our story, create content, promote events, recruit participants, recognize sponsors, and grow our online presence.

• Business and Entrepreneurship: Business, management, entrepreneurship, finance, accounting, and nonprofit management students who can assist with sponsorship development, fundraising, budgeting, donor engagement, organizational planning, and special projects.

• Education and Youth Development: Education, counseling, human development, social work, psychology, and related majors who enjoy working with young people and can support mentoring, leadership development, academic encouragement, team culture, and career exploration.

• Event and Community Engagement: Students interested in event planning, hospitality, recreation, civic engagement, or community service who can assist with outreach events, robotics demonstrations, volunteer coordination, recruitment, and competition logistics.

• Photography, Video, and Creative Media: Students who can document the robotics journey through photography, video, interviews, storytelling, and promotional content.

• General Mentors and Volunteers: Students do not need a technical major to contribute. We especially value dependable college volunteers who communicate well, enjoy encouraging young people, are willing to learn, and can consistently support the team.

During the fall, our greatest needs include recruitment, fundraising, sponsorship outreach, social media marketing, communications, event support, and team organization. As we move into the FIRST Robotics Competition season beginning in January, volunteers will have increasing opportunities to work alongside EagleTron team members in more hands-on mentoring, technical, leadership, and competition-support roles.

College volunteers can contribute their current skills while gaining practical experience in leadership, project management, mentoring, marketing, engineering, nonprofit operations, community engagement, and teamwork.

Most importantly, we are looking for college students who understand that their presence can make a meaningful difference in young lives. A volunteer does not have to know everything about robotics. They need to be willing to show up, share what they know, continue learning, and help guide the next generation.