We need mentors who are interested in helping address the nutrition challenges that young people face today. Mentors that have a passion for health, healthcare, creative problem solving, empowering young people to develop personal responsibility regarding health, and enjoy living are encouraged to apply. Background with the scientific method will also be helpful. You will start the project off by reading the Omnivore's Dilemma (Young Readers Edition) alongside your mentees to help them increase their background knowledge of nutrition.

First, students will read Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma (Young Reader's Edition) to get them thinking about the food they are putting in their bodies. Then students and mentors will work together under the teacher's supervision to develop and implement an authentic science investigation based on nutrition. Students will work with local and global experts to research issues, choose topics, develop plans and execute those plans.

Science & Technology 6th Grade Outcome: 2. Examine how choices regarding the use of technology are influenced by constraints caused by various unavoidable factors (e.g., geographic location, limited resources, social, political and economic considerations). 3. Create a solution to a problem given more than two constraints (e.g. limits of cost and time for design and production, supply of materials and environmental effects). 4. Evaluate the overall effectiveness of a product design or solution. Science Inquiry 9th Grade Outcomes: 1. Choose the appropriate tools or instruments and use relevant safety procedures to complete scientific investigations. 2. Describe the concepts of sample size and control and explain how these affect scientific investigations. 3. Read, construct and interpret data in various forms produced by self and others in both written and oral form (e.g., tables, charts, maps, graphs, diagrams and symbols). 4. Apply appropriate math skills to interpret quantitative data (e.g. mean, median, and mode). Scientific Ways of Knowing 8th Grade Outcomes: 1. Identify the difference between description (e.g., observation and summary) and explanation (e.g. inference, prediction, significance and importance). 2. Explain why it is important to examine data objectively and not let bias affect observations.

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Students will read and reflect on Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma (Young Readers Edition). Students will use the scientific method to address nutrition issues that are relevant to their personal lives and community. Students will also design and create solutions to help solve these identified issues. Students will present their findings to the community at the end of the school year.

Students will write a final letter to the mentor which will include a self- evaluation of the project, including what the student did well, what he would like to have done to improve upon the project, and what the mentor contributed to the project.

Mentor's Role: Mentors will read the Omnivore's Dilemma(Young Readers Edition) along side with students and help students identify interests they have in nutrition. Mentors will aid students in mastering and applying the scientific method during the course of developing a nutrition investigation that will be presented to classmates, school staff, and individuals from the local community.