The David Perlman Virtual Mentoring Program is run by the National Association of Science Writers (NASW) and was created in 2020 to compensate for the decrease in internships and summer writing opportunities during the Covid-19 pandemic. This program is unique from similar programs offering mentoring opportunities in that it is inclusive, totally free, completely flexible in its offerings and staffed solely by professional writers volunteering their time. Students of varying backgrounds can connect meaningfully with highly accomplished science writers. Another facet of the program is affording the fledgling writers the chance to be introduced to these senior writers’ networks. The mentors, who are usually balancing full-time workloads, generously share their time with their mentees.
Many students select the option of producing a news story, guided by their mentors, which often is their first published piece offered to a national audience. This meaningful experience can potentially launch the novice into a writing career.
Good candidates for this program include all students and recent graduates who have a passion for communicating science to the world. Past participants have ranged from PhD students in the sciences wishing to venture outside of their academic environment to journalism undergraduates expanding, developing, and specializing their researching and writing skills.
At the program’s inception, ninety-eight students were paired with as many volunteer mentors to produce a short report or article. Their report was then showcased in the NASW newsroom and pitched to the participating media outlets including last year’s contributions to: Times of the Islands, Scientific American, Eos, Mongabay, Sky & Telescope, The Xylom, National Geographic, Discover, Bay Nature, The Verge, Science News for Students, Indianapolis Star, Nautilus, Inside Science and Physics World.
The program has continued biannually since 2020, due to the great popularity of the program and its successes. It was opened up to all student members of NASW, which includes students from across the United States and even other countries. It now supports more than three hundred students each year with intentions of pursuing a career in freelance writing, blogging, editing or other employment in media outlets specializing in science stories.
Mentor and volunteer recruitment are announced in March through the National Association of Science Writers platforms (web, email, social media.) Any current and retired professional journalist, science writer and science writing educator may volunteer for the program. Mentors are well-versed in the fundamentals of science writing. Students will be NASW members for consideration or must apply for membership by the start of the program.
The next program will start in June 2026. Specific dates for the program, enrollment details and volunteer recruitment are announced in March. The program starts with a virtual kickoff to ensure everyone is on the same page and usually features a guest speaker. In 2025, Betsy Ladyzhets, one of the writers of The Sick Times, an independent news site founded by journalists, was the guest speaker. The meeting time is also used to have mentors and mentees meet one-on-one to meet in virtual breakout rooms where they can share contact information and plan future meetings over the summer.
Mentors meet their mentees a minimum of four hours over the course of the program and independently coordinate their meetings. Mentees decide on a topic and have a chance to ask for help with their science writing projects. Potentially, the collaboration will generate a story accepted for publication. Students have described this experience as “life-changing.” I spoke with mentors and Education Committee Co-Chairs Shel Evergreen and Courtney Gorman, who enjoyed being able to “pour their expertise and craft into others.”
As a freelance science journalist, I participated as a mentor three years ago. I mentored Morgan Sweeney, a recent McGill graduate, who authored an amusing article entitled “Sucked into Your Smartphone?” The experience was a joyful, productive give-and-take relationship, benefitting us both. If readers are interested in being a mentor or mentee, contact NASW to apply for the 2026 cohort.
Roberta Batorsky, MS, is a university Biology teacher and a freelance science journalist.