Become a Mentor: Starfish Initiative

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Starfish Initiative inspires, encourages, and prepares academically-promising high school students facing unearned adversity for college and career success. Serving high schools throughout Marion County, we provide our Scholars with one-on-one mentorship, college and career readiness programming, leadership training, and community service opportunities. In doing so, we hope to assist our Scholars in overcoming barriers to success in order to ensure high school graduation and preparedness for their entrance into college.

Traditional Mentoring Opportunity
At its core, Starfish Initiative is a college access and readiness program that succeeds through personable one-on-one mentorship. Our college-educated Mentors help our Scholars to take ownership of their educational pathway starting in their freshman year. As a Mentor, you will be paired with a Scholar of the same gender to be a college and life coach. Whether it be about transitioning to high school, academic or social struggles, or deciding on which college or career path they will pursue, we hope that you will bring your experiences and knowledge about the college and scholarship search process to help guide our scholars towards their goals.

To our Scholars, our Mentors are the people who stand beside them, believe in them, and help them achieve their vision of success. In your two-year commitment, we ask that you and your Scholar meet twice a month in addition to a call, text, or email on the "off" weeks. Although we only require a two-year commitment, many of our Mentors ask to remain in the program to see their Scholars all the way to high school graduation and beyond. If you're interested, you can visit https://www.starfishinitiative.org/be-a-mentor for details and an application. Thank you for considering the opportunity to make a difference in a young Scholar's life!
*Due to the current pandemic, we are recommending that Mentors and Scholar meet or connect virtually until further notice.


Seeking Female Volunteers: Yes

Seeking Male Volunteers: Yes

Minimum Match Commitment (in months): 12 months or longer

Type of Mentoring: One-to-One

Youth Population Served: Academically At-Risk, Adjudicated/court involved, First-Generation College, Foster, Residential or Kinship Care, Gang At-Risk, General Youth Population, Gifted/Talented/Academic Achiever, Homeless/Runaway, Incarcerated Parent, LGBTQ Youth, Low Income, Mental Health Issues, Parent Involved in Military, Physical Disabilities/Special Care Needs, Pregnant/Parenting, Recent Immigrant/Refugee, Single-Parent Household, Special Education, Youth with Disabilities

Mentoring Program Goals: Career Exploration, Education/Academic Support, Friendship/Socialization, Healthy Behaviors, Other

Ages of Youth Served: 15-18