Introduction Graduate and undergraduate mentoring and training are a high priority and highly visible product for the Coweeta LTER program. The precedent of including students in all aspects of the field and laboratory research and publication of results has been established since 1937 when the first Coweeta graduate student produced their graduate thesis. The collaborative environment for student involvement at Coweeta long precedes the establishment of the Coweeta LTER Program in 1980. Nonetheless, the funding and resources developed for both undergraduate and graduate students have and continue to be developed partly with LTER resources to facilitate an environment where student involvement is stimulated and encouraged. Graduate Students The Coweeta LTER program emphasizes the foundation of graduate student mentoring and research that was established by the USDA Forest Service and others at Coweeta. As of March 2005, more than 225 students have earned M.S. or Ph.D. degrees while conducting their own research related to the Coweeta LTER program. A listing of student Theses and Dissertations, as well as the peer reviewed publications, resulting from projects demonstrate the highly visible products from these students and their mentors. In addition, tools have been developed and organized to facilitate graduate student involvement and to generate a sense of community with other graduate students in the Coweeta LTER program: Tools for Graduate Students. Undergraduate Students Involvement by undergraduate students at Coweeta has primarily resulted from three programs: 1. Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) Program Students have been able to take advantage of the stipend and resources made available to them by Research Experience for Undergraduate Program (REU) positions created directly by the Coweeta LTER program or by other NSF-funded grants with research sites at or near Coweeta. These positions stimulate students to focus on a topic that can be studied in a summer and often relate to and provide more in depth knowledge for a larger ongoing project. As part of their REU experience, these students often assist with other research projects and are therefore exposed to multiple field and laboratory techniques that help to broaden their ecological background. At the end of the summer, REU and all undergraduate students prepare and present a powerpoint presentation in a symposium setting to the scientists and staff at Coweeta and are often co- or lead authors on resulting publications. 2. Carolina Environmental Program (CEP) Since 2001, Coweeta scientists have participated in the Carolina Environmental Program (CEP) site at Highlands Biological Station (HBS). Each fall, undergraduate students in residence at HBS in Highlands, NC are matched with mentors for an internship experience to explore a topic in depth during the fall semester. Students assist with field and laboratory research and produce a written report of their findings that is presented to both the scientists and staff at Coweeta as well as the public and other CEP students and their mentors at Highlands Biological Station. 3. Student Research Assistants Numerous undergraduate students assist Coweeta LTER Co-PIs and staff with field and laboratory research and summary of research results. This experience stimulates numerous students to pursue their own projects as part of their graduate programs. Undergraduate students who are employed by Coweeta scientists and staff stationed at Coweeta prepare and present in a symposium setting and are often co-authors on resulting publications.