How does the mentoring program work?
Volunteer mentors are selected from the community to help Scholars succeed in college. Mentors are trained and supported by East Bay College Fund and spend 3-5 hours a month communicating and working with their Scholars. We endeavor to match mentors with Scholars based on a variety of factors, including academic and career interests, and background.
Each student who applies to the Academy must submit the name of an adult who will act as their mentor during the 22 week residential phase and the one year post-residential phase—basically an 18 month commitment. This is a mandatory requirement for admission and students cannot start the program until a mentor is identified and meets the following criteria: the mentor cannot be a member of the student’s family (or live in the same household), must be at least 21 years old, must be of the same gender as the student, must agree to a background check, must attend a one day training session, and must sign a Mentoring Agreement which requires weekly contact with the student. It is not a figurehead position and the mentor plays a critical role in the student’s short and long-term success in completing the Academy and moving on to become a responsible and productive citizen.
