Expansion Process
Interested in Bringing Our Program to your Community?
At College Mentors for Kids, we are always looking for potential sites for new chapters. We believe in the power of mentoring and want to be part of impacting the lives of children and college students in your community to allow them to look forward sooner so they can give back later. Starting a chapter of College Mentors for Kids can be initiated by anyone in the community but are most often started by college student leaders or university administrators. In each community, a partnership is created between the local college or university and elementary schools. Once college student volunteers are recruited, College Mentors for Kids provides training, program materials and support to establish the new chapter.
Do you think that College Mentors for Kids is a good fit for your community or university? Email us at zbates@collegementors.org.
Benefits of Partnering with College Mentors
Choosing to start a chapter in your community is sure to make a lasting impact. Here are a few benefits of partnering with College Mentors for Kids, Inc.
Organizational Systems and Structure
The national office maintains a program database to track college mentor applications and little buddy information, and to facilitate the mentor selection process. It also provides access to online fundraising tools and manages these databases on the national level. The national office completes all of the necessary processes to maintain our status as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, including an annual audit, and maintains finances for the entire organization.
Training
The national office creates and organizes trainings for college student chapter leaders at an annual National Conference, providing tools to manage the program on their campus, review safety protocols, participate in planning and team-building sessions, and develop leadership skills. Additionally, online trainings orient all mentors and staff members to our program, set expectations, and prepare them to safely interact with little buddies.
Liability Management
College Mentors for Kids holds a group insurance policy for all activities and participants. The national office screens all volunteers for criminal history before they are permitted to work with children.
Program Brand and Assessment
The national office promotes the College Mentors brand through its public relations efforts. All chapters benefit from the recognition and reputation of the national program brand. The brand is strengthened through annual program evaluation and assessment conducted by a third party evaluator.
Support from College Mentors for Kids' National Office
Ongoing support to college chapter leaders, both on-site and via phone and email, helps chapter leaders ensure effective, safe, and sustainable programming at each chapter.
Our Current Focus Areas
College Mentors for Kids is currently focused on expanding our program nationally in addition to continuing to add chapters regionally in established states. Currently, our primary focus includes the following states:
Did you know?
- It takes approximately 12 months from the initial point of contact to form a new chapter.
- Fundraising must take place before a chapter is started. Students and the local community must fundraise to start and maintain the chapter on a yearly basis.
- Chapter start-ups require a committed team: a small group of dedicated college students and community members, university support, a partner school and transportation capabilities in the community.
- Our program works best by partnering with universities and colleges with a minimum of 5,000 undergraduates.
If your university meets the criteria above, contact us to get the process started!
