Program History
College Mentors, Inc., was founded in 1995 by two Indiana University undergraduates who wanted to impact the lives of children. They assessed current youth programming and identified a gap in services for elementary school students. The founders wanted to go beyond the familiar recreational mentoring and after-school tutoring programs and offer a program with structured, substantive activities designed to yield specific results regarding youth development and educational achievement. They created a program model that paired the needs of first- through fourth-grade elementary school students with the talents and resources of undergraduates and the college campus.
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College Mentors Founders Heidi Schmidt and Kristin Huang |
Following a year of planning, College Mentors for Kids was incorporated as a nonprofit in 1996. The mentor program was piloted with 18 buddy pairs at Indiana University and 12 buddy pairs at Butler University in the 1996-1997 school year. A headquarters office was established during the summer of 1997 and four new chapters were launched in the fall of 1998. Since that time College Mentors for Kids has expanded to 21 colleges statewide and regionally.
In 2008, College Mentors created College Connection, a mentor program that pairs fifth through eight grade students with college student mentors.
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College Mentors for Kids
College Mentors for Kids Activity Topics
College Mentors for Kids’ activities rotate through three core activity topics that were deliberately selected to make children aware of the academic and social routines of a college student's life, the human and capital resources of the college campus, and the benefits of a college education.
Higher education and career activities allow little buddies to increase their awareness of college life, different careers and the training required for each. For example, in an activity about journalism, they may meet the editor of the campus newspaper, tour the newsroom, and write an article under the supervision of a journalism professor. Or, the children might travel to a biology lab to learn about how plants photosynthesize, while also listening to a professor speak about botany, why people study botany and how a college degree is important in becoming a botanist.
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Through culture and diversity activities the little buddies learn about the talents and heritage of the different people who form the college community. Activities may include celebrating Cinco de Mayo with a student from Mexico, sitting in on an orchestra class, or learning a routine with a hip-hop dance group. These activities expand little buddies' world view by exposing them to the languages, foods, visual and performing arts, and histories of groups different from themselves.
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| Community service activities enable the children to identify and respond to needs in their community and learn about community resources. For example, the group may discuss homelessness and its causes and then assemble toiletry kits to give to clients of a local homeless shelter. These activities are empowering for the little buddies, who are often on the receiving end of social services. |
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Activities span two hours throughout the academic year and occur once a week after school on the college campus. The little buddies come to campus approximately 20 times per year, making 80 or more visits to a college campus by the time they finish the fourth grade. Activities open with snack time and the Book of the Week. Each group of 10 mentor-child pairs travels to the appropriate campus location and participate in a structured hands-on activity facilitated by a professor, student or local businessperson. The location enhances the activity; not only do children learn about the topic but they connect it to a facility, making the college experience very real to them. At the conclusion of the activity, the buddy pairs spend time together reflecting on their experience through journaling and the College Question of the Week.
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College Mentors for Kids Program Initiatives
Many children struggle with reading, which has long-term consequences. The Book of the Week connects children to the activity topic and encourages reading for pleasure.
Many families live without a bank account and are easy prey to cash advance businesses. The JPMorgan Chase Economics for Kids initiative teaches kids about the importance of earning, saving and spending money wisely to break the cycle of poverty.
Verizon gave a grant to integrate Thinkfinity.org resources into activities for the children. Thinkfinity is a web site that offers free educational resources for teachers, instructors and parents to use in increasing student performance in their problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking skills.
The Career Mentors initiative brings local professionals onto the campus to share his or her profession and required training. It exposes participants to career options and how higher education plays a role in reaching each career.
A health and wellness curriculum focuses on nutrition, physical fitness, hygiene and personal growth, while exposing families to resources such as Hoosier Healthwise.
A science curriculum was implemented to give the
children the chance to experience  science outside the classroom. Activities will primarily be in the form of experiments and mini-projects with the guidance of college professors.
Technology literacy and access to the resources that it provides crucial to the development of children in today’s economy. Exposing young children to a technology curriculum on a college campus and
technology careers will help to build computer skills
and awareness of how technology impacts the
economy.
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College Connection
College Connection Program Activities
Weekly activities focus on three topics: personal, academic, and career development.
Personal Development: Activities in personal development focus on the question, “Who am I?”. Students discuss and learn about character development, personal qualities, dreams and interests. Activities related to personal development will build self-confidence in participants and help them grow comfortable in their own person.
Academic Development: Academic development activities have two main focus areas: “How do I succeed?” and “What does my future look like?”. The first focus area will examine the following topics: study skills, good habits, time management, listening skills, communication, conflict resolution, decision-making, and learning styles. The second prepares students for real-world applications in high school, college and community service. These activities will help the middle school students develop the academic skills necessary to succeed in high school and beyond.
Career Development: Activities in career development try to help students answer the daunting question, “Who will I become?”. Activities will focus on setting long and short-term goals; aptitudes and skills; career exploration; and income and finances. Youth participants will see their options for the future with regards to careers, often through guest speakers from the community.
College Connection Program Initiatives
The Career Mentors initiative invites local professionals to activities to share their professions and required training. This valuable experience allows youth participants the opportunity to ask experienced professionals questions as they learn about career options and the role higher education plays in reaching career goals.
The College Preparatory and Financial Planning Initiative connects youth and their families to academic and financial planning resources for higher education. Families receive a College Preparatory Packet with information and resources for parents of middle school students at the end of each program year.
Activity Structure
Activities span two hours, once a week after school at the middle school during the academic year. There are approximately 20 activities per year. Activities will focus on personal, academic and career development. Topics are complimented by community service, leadership and financial literacy applications, offering students real-world connections to each. Each college student mentor will be matched with five students, and activities will occur in a group. Activities begin with snack, a review of the expectations for the afternoon, and a large group activity as an introduction to the day’s topic. Often, activities will include a guest speaker who will explain his or her career, what skills he/she needs to do the job, and will speak on the topic of the day. Students then discuss the connection of the activity to their community. Activities end with journal time, which includes a Question of the Week and Life Skill of the Week. Please see the next page for a sample activity sheet. Groups will also take field trips throughout the program year. They will visit various locations around the community and the local college campus. These visits increase the level of comfort children have on the college campus. Other field trips will not only introduce children to different careers in their community, but also exposed them to opportunities and resources available throughout the surrounding community.
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