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.
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: