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The Student Mentoring Program offers IIDA Student members a chance to gain and share insight into a career in the interior design community by shadowing a professional for a day. For design professionals, take advantage of this chance to give back to the design community. The IIDA Student Mentoring Program is an opportunity to inspire young upcoming designers and possibly make a connection for potential employment opportunities in the future.

2025 IIDA Student members and current design professionals, manufacturer representatives, dealers, and educators who want to elevate the education of interior design students through real-world experience. Not a member? Join today!

Mentors must be employed or active in the commercial interior design industry as a professional, manufacturers rep, educator, architect, or dealer. Mentors are encouraged to be IIDA members but are not required to be

Participants will be matched based on their shared areas of interest and expertise. Mentees and mentors will also have the opportunity to give IIDA additional information to help with the pairing experience.

The 2025 IIDA Student Mentoring Program will be a mix of in-person, hybrid, and virtual opportunities, based on the availability of participants in your area. IIDA will encourage all participants to meet virtually three times.

The Student Mentoring Program is free for all IIDA Student members and mentors. If you are not a student member but are interested in participating, you can learn more and join here.

The 2025 IIDA Student Mentoring Program will be in-person, hybrid, and virtual opportunities, based on the availability of participants in your area. Here is the guide that outlines what our expectations are for participants.

All pairings will be based on a first-come, first-serve process that will incorporate the student and mentor’s areas of interest and expertise. We do our best to incorporate all of your submitted information when pairing you with your student or mentor.

Each student will be assigned one mentor. Design professionals can select the option to mentor multiple students if they are able.

Applicants will be notified of their student/mentor pairings in March.

Please contact students@iida.org if you need to cancel your virtual mentoring experience.

The Wilsonart Student Education Fund, part of the IIDA Foundation, is proud to offer a $1,000 prize to the winner of the Wilsonart Essay Competition. Only students participating in the Student Mentoring Program are eligible to enter by submitting an original essay reflecting on their mentoring experience. Read more here.