The "Building Bridges" Leadership/Mentor Project developed a model leadership intern experience with emphasis on minority group involvement. It had four goals: to foster an environment in which cultural diversity was understood and valued; to increase work force participation of minority groups; to provide opportunities for leadership mentoring and role modeling; and to enhance employability and career success in the food and agricultural sciences. A mentor handbook and intern experience notebook were developed. The 13 interns who were recruited received 6 college credit hours in agricultural and extension or home economics education, tuition waiver, living stipend, and travel reimbursement. Mentors received a stipend. Prior to the 8-week onsite experience, mentors and interns participated in an orientation meeting, site visit, and 1-week leadership seminar. During the experiential component of the project, mentors provided day-to-day support to interns as they completed required activities. Students returned to campus to participate in a post-field experience seminar. The Youth Leadership Life Skills Development Scale was administered as a pretest/posttest. Findings indicated that, for the 1994 interns, increases in frequency were seen in 26 life skills; in 1995, only seven life skills showed an increase in mean frequency. Mentors thought this was a valuable opportunity for professional growth and renewal. Students found it a very valuable career awareness activity that provided personal and professional development. (YLB)