The Mentoring Project pairs trained community volunteer mentors with adult low-income students to provide guidance as they navigate their path to postsecondary degree or certificate completion. The 1:1 relationship, conducted on-line, aims to create stability for the student through regular check-ins, good listening and supporting the student’s belief in their capacity to problem solve.
Description
The Mentoring Project is a new program, in partnership with the Seattle Colleges, aimed at improving retention of low-income students. Currently, over half of all students starting at the Seattle Colleges (North, South & Central) will not complete their degree or certificate. Mentors will connect virtually (e.g. by text, email or video conferencing like Zoom) with their mentee once a week to provide support and encouragement to overcome obstacles to degree completion such as food insecurity, lack of funding and confusion about academic direction. This is a great opportunity to do rewarding volunteer work without a huge time commitment- here are some bonuses: Monthly mentor trainings will feature experts in the field who will share their student affairs knowledge and engage in discussion. Topics will include how to advise students about:
Financial aid, grants and college affordability.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Leveraging campus activities and services.
Mentors will learn about college processes and procedures by working with their mentee to find answers. All mentoring and mentor training will be virtual. Mentor applicants should be resourceful, positive and have completed an undergraduate degree. The Mentoring Project is recruiting mentors to begin e-mentoring adult (0ver age 18) low-income students for Fall term 2021. Please visit the website www.mentoringproject.org to apply.
