Become a Mentor: Improve Your Tomorrow

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IYT specifically targets young men of color because they are, in the aggregate, the lowest performing students. Over the past several decades, African American and Latina women have far surpassed their male counterparts in several areas of academic achievement including high school graduation, college attendance and college completion. This phenomenon, in conjunction with public policies that have drastically increased the incarceration rates for African American and Latino males, has helped contribute to generational cycles of poverty, imprisonment and low educational attainment primarily among young men of color.

Despite one's race or income, education continues to be best equalizer to fight poverty, prevent incarceration and reduce inequality. Improve Your Tomorrow hopes to improve the outcomes for young men of color by providing tutoring, life skills seminars, mentorship and college exposure. ?

1:1 Mentorship. Each student is assigned an Academic Mentor who meets monthly with each designated student to review grades, attendance, college advising personal issues, etc.

Commitment from mentors is long term to achieve the highest, consistent success in the young men.


Seeking Female Volunteers: No

Seeking Male Volunteers: Yes

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

Type of Mentoring: One-to-One, Peer

Youth Population Served: Academically At-Risk, Adjudicated/court involved, College/Post-secondary Student, First-Generation College, Foster, Residential or Kinship Care, Gang At-Risk, Gang involved, Gifted/Talented/Academic Achiever, Homeless/Runaway, Incarcerated Parent, Low Income, Mental Health Issues, Recent Immigrant/Refugee, Single-Parent Household, Youth with Disabilities

Mentoring Program Goals: Career Exploration, Education/Academic Support, Healthy Behaviors, Reduce Recidivism

Ages of Youth Served: 11-14, 15-18, 18-24