Become a League Mentor

Join this year's mentorship program for college students at public architecture schools in the New York/New Jersey area.

Being a mentor helps us to exemplify the true nature of an architect: a person who has chosen to pursue lifelong learning, be a steward to the environment, and demonstrate our belief in social responsibility and change.

—League mentor

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply is Tuesday, August 11, at 11:59 p.m. ET. This is a firm deadline.

This is a competitive program. Mentors are selected based on their professional experience and compatibility with student needs, but there are other opportunities for applicants to be involved with the program, including virtually.

For more information on the program, please visit archleague.org/mentorship or contact programs@archleague.org.

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Program Overview

Initiated in 2018, The League Mentorship matches design professionals with students at local public architecture schools for one-on-one advising, mutual learning, and intergenerational community building during the academic year.

Over the course of the 2026–2027 academic year, each League mentor meets regularly with their mentee, offering them guidance as they prepare for careers in architecture and design. In addition, the League organizes several group events for both mentors and mentees and facilitates mentor-led skill-sharing and community-building events.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to be a League mentor?

Mentors should be architects or designers based in the New York/New Jersey area with a professional degree in architecture and at least three years of professional experience after graduation. Mentors do not need to be licensed architects. People of color, first-generation college alumni, and immigrants are strongly encouraged to apply.

Mentors are required to join The Architectural League as members, either as an individual or through their employer’s corporate or institutional membership. In addition to standard member benefits, mentors will be given an additional ticket for their mentee for most League events. To check your membership status, please email membership@archleague.org.

What are the responsibilities of a League mentor?

During the course of the academic year, each mentor-mentee match must meet at least twice per semester—preferably in person—and attend the three mandatory full-cohort events: an orientation in September, a mid-year gathering in February, and an end-of-year studio tour in June.

What types of activities do League mentors share with their mentees?

Potential activities include: attending a lecture, visiting a museum, touring the mentor’s office or project site, exploring the city, attending the mentee’s studio reviews, providing feedback on the mentee’s portfolio or resume, preparing for job interviews, and discussing potential career pathways.

I am a current architecture student. How do I become a mentee?

This program is only open to students currently enrolled in their third year of study or above in a bachelor’s program or any year of a master’s program at the schools listed above. If you are a student at one of these schools, please contact your department chair for more information on how to apply.

2025–2026 Mentorship Program Highlights

Support

This program is made possible by the members and supporters of The Architectural League of New York, and by the J. Clawson Mills Scholarship Fund. Additional support is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Support is also provided by the Next Generation Fund, which supports the League’s investment in early-career architects and designers and provides unified support for the League Prize, Emerging Voices, and the League’s Student and Mentorship Programs.