THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM – You've registered for the Science Congress, booked your hotel, arranged your flights but now you wonder how are you going to take advantage of all that the Congress has to offer? We have a new initiative that we hope will help.

As many of us know, attending any large gathering for the first time, where you may or may not know other participants, can be a bit daunting. With that in mind, we have initiated a new program that we hope will get delegates past that awkward stage so they can make the Congress work for them.

We are asking seasoned Congress participants to extend a welcoming hand to first-time attendees. The role of host is simple – to introduce several newcomers to colleagues, specifically during the opening reception, and to serve as an informal resource during the Congress ensuring our first-time attendees have a positive and rewarding experience. Volunteering as a host will not take up a lot of your Congress time. You just need to be available on a casual basis throughout the event. Several past participants have already agreed to serve as hosts for each Congress, but we are still looking for more.

For first-timers, please let us know if you would like to be paired with a host. We hope to arrange introductions on-line in advance of the Congress so everyone has a chance to communicate prior to the opening reception.

If you are interested in participating in either capacity at the Science Congress, please contact Diana Ingraham at Deadline is November 26, 2003. If you are a host or first-time attendee provide a line or two about projects in which you are/have been involved.