We have an amazing opportunity for our community to volunteer and support local youth in East Williamsburg! The BID recently connected with iMentor to learn about a program that works with local students from the Lyons Community School located on the campus at 223 Graham Ave, and thought our super awesome, caring community might be interested in participating. iMentor is an education non-profit and youth mentoring program that works to empower first-generation college students to graduate high school, succeed in college, and achieve their ambitions through one-on-one mentorships.
A majority of iMentor’s students identify as people of color, are international students, or speak languages other than English. When students meet their mentors, it is important that they see successful working professionals who are as diverse and unique as they are. While we almost have enough women to support our female-identifying students for this school year, iMentor still needs more than 350+ male mentors, particularly men of color, to work with our male students.
Mentor Requirements:
Have a 2 or 4 year college degree
Mentors commit to 3-5 hours per month (1x per week write your mentee, 1x per month meet your mentee at an event, periodic college & Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion trainings)
Be willing to be fingerprinted by the NYC Department of Education in-person (downtown Brooklyn)
All NYC-based mentors who enter our program this fall will have the option to remain fully virtual throughout the duration of their 4-year match!
What Makes a Good Mentor?
Curiosity about your mentee’s life & interests
Flexibility & openness
Consistency in the highs and lows of the mentorship
Are you or someone you know in our community a good fit for the mentorship program? If you would like to start volunteering to mentor a student through iMentor click here. If you are interested in learning more about the program or have any questions, please reach out to Rachel Hutt at rhutt@imentor.org
