College students apply annually to be mentors and are interviewed and selected by college student leaders at their chapter. Every mentor is also required to pass a background check of the national criminal database and sex offender registry. A new background check is run every year a mentor participates in the program. All mentors are also required to complete both online and in-person trainings before they begin mentoring.

Mentors and kids are both asked to commit to the program for one full academic year. If you’re your child’s mentor has to leave at the end of the semester due to class scheduling, your child will have an opportunity to be matched with a new mentor, but we make every effort to keep pairs together for a minimum of one school year. If both the mentor and child return the following year, they will be re-matched whenever possible.

College Mentors utilizes the unique resources of each campus while following the same basic structure from week to week: a snack and bathroom break, time for mentors and kids to connect, a movement-based energizer, a guest speaker, a hands-on activity, and reflection time at the end of the day. All activities are centered on higher education and career, culture and diversity, or community service. One week the kids might do science experiments with a professor or visit or campus museum, and the next they might tour a cultural center or make dog toys for a local animal shelter. 

These vary by site, so to learn more, please contact your chapter’s leadership team or email the national office at contactus@collegementors.org.  

No, we focus on instilling the importance of education at a young age but do not provide tutoring or homework help.

Families of little buddies are expected to enroll their children by the deadline set by the elementary/middle school. They are also expected to ensure their child attends activities each week since consistent attendance is important for providing kids with the best experience possible. 

College student leaders are given extensive crisis management training, and all mentors are required to take an online safety training each year they participate in the program. Mentors and kids always do activities in a group setting and are never alone together.

Activities begin in the fall and run through the spring, and they are held once a week for two hours. The program follows the academic calendar, so if there is a day that either the university or elementary/middle school is not in session, there will not be an activity.

We ask kids in our program to participate for a minimum of one full academic year, but we encourage multiple-year participation. Your child will be able to continue in College Mentors for Kids as long as they attend one of our partner schools and are invited by the school to participate.

Once you submit your registration, you should wait to hear from either your child’s school or the college student leaders. They will provide updates on whether your child has been selected for the program and the activity calendar and details.

While we are only able to enroll children that attend one of our partner schools, there are many great mentoring programs that may be a great fit for your child. Look for a Big Brothers Big Sisters affiliate near you, or visit the MENTOR Connector at https://www.mentoring.org/get-involved/find-a-mentor/#zipsearch2 to search for programs in your area. You can also talk to the guidance counselor or social worker at your child’s school for more information about local mentoring programs.