Honors Mentor Connection

Honors Mentor Connection (HMC) is a course for highly motivated juniors and seniors. It allows participants to perform research with guidance from an expert in the field.

Requirements and application process

HMC is for juniors and seniors who:

Want to do research in a certain field.
Have a history of academic success in advanced coursework in that field.
Can identify and read journal articles by respected researchers to learn more about their topic.
Have a proven ability to work independently.

View details in the WHS course catalog

Dual mentorship

Students simultaneously:

Pursue a specific research question under the guidance of an expert in their field and
Receive instruction about the research process itself from their HMC teachers.

Student work

Students explore:

Research methodology,
Ethical research practices,
How to access, analyze, and synthesize information.

They share insights with their peers in collaborative groups to:

Deepen their understanding of their experience, and
Reflect upon their growth as they navigate their own research.

Student work products

Students must produce:

An electronic portfolio of artifacts
An academic research paper (4,000 to 5,000 words)
A 20 minute formal presentation with oral defense

The portfolio must show the student's development of scholarly work, including:

An annotated bibliography
Monthly Memos documenting their experiences, insights, and reflections.

Students will submit these products to the College Board by the spring deadline to be considered for AP Research credit.

Time commitment

Students in the class:

Have designated release time during the school day to allow them to engage in work related to their research.
Typically spend 8 hours per week on tasks associated with the research process.

Mentors and students agree in advance how much mentoring time is needed each week.

Typically, virtual mentors meet with students for an hour each week to help guide them in their research.
For research projects that require in person wet-lab experiences, the student may spend about eight hours a week on site.

Mentorship end dates vary, based on each mentor's preference. Some end in April, other continue through the end of the school year or beyond.