Apply To Be A Mentor
The Bridge is looking for Mentors to help guide our students through the journey. If you are a working creative professional or educator living in NYC or LA, and are interested in becoming a Bridge Mentor, please apply below!
The Bridge Mentor FAQ
What is The Bridge?
The Bridge is a joint effort between Brooklyn-based creative educators BKC and the American Society of Media Photographers designed to lift barriers that prevent many talented artists from building sustainable careers in the creative industry.
Now in its 3rd year, The Bridge spans 16 weeks from July to November in New York and Los Angeles and combines an intensive professional development course with a mentorship with a working industry professional, allowing students to begin establishing important contacts throughout the creative industry.
The program admits 12 students each year, following a rigorous selection process based on written responses to our application form and a submitted portfolio of ten images.
Both the application and The Bridge program are free to all accepted applicants, and anyone between the ages of 18-26 in NYC and LA and are eligible.
We’re looking for creative professionals from all backgrounds to be Mentors for the 2023 Program.
How is The Bridge structured?
The Bridge is structured in 3 parts:
The first part is an 8-week course in July and August that meets 3 times a week, Sundays in person, and Tuesday Thursday evening on Zoom.
The second part is a month-long September mentoship period.
The third part is an independent work period in October in preparation for the students’ November final exhibition.
What is the role of a mentor?
The mentor’s role is that of a guide, a coach, a leader, or a curious colleague. Mentors will participate in our weekly classes, joining online classes and dedicated in-person sessions featuring each Mentor. As the program continues, Mentors will help guide students towards their goal of completing a new body of work for our Final Show.
When does the mentor need to be available during classes?
We invite mentors to participate in all class activities, both online and in-person. Online classes can also be accessed via recording.
When is the actual mentorship period?
The Mentorship period begins after the end of our 8-week session, in early August, and continues through the Final Show in October (exact dates to be posted soon).
Do mentors get paid?
The mentors are volunteer only, so no money will be exchanged. For those who participate in the program, the value lies in the experience itself.
How many students per mentor?
Each mentor will be paired with up to 2 students.
What makes a good mentor?
A good mentor first cares deeply about others, and especially young people coming up today. So empathy is a really important asset to have. I think a good mentor also is interested in learning as much as they are sharing their own experiences. And I think a great mentor doesn’t believe they know it all, and loves to listen.
It’s super helpful if you’re organized… you will be scheduling time with 2 people over the course of a month. Good communication is key. Respect and consideration for other humans is obviously required.
We hope our mentors and students build meaningful relationships that can last a long time.
Let’s say I’m not a photographer… Let’s say I’m a curator, or a photo editor, or a creative director. Can I still be a mentor?
Absolutely! We welcome and encourage people from across the photo and creative arts industries to apply to be a mentor. Some students may enroll in The Bridge thinking they want to be a photographer, and then finish the program wanting to do something they didn’t even know was a job. The industry is broad and many people contribute to their work we see, and often we don’t really know who they are or how they work. So let’s just say, YES definitely we’re interested in all kinds of experiences.
How can I apply to be a Mentor?
The first step is to fill out this form, and we’ll reach out to you to discuss the opportunity and answer any further questions you might have.
