Registration is now open to serve as a tnAchieves mentor in 2024. TnAchieves needs 9,000 volunteers to support the Class of 2024 on their college journey using the Tennessee Promise scholarship.
Cumberland County needs 70 mentors.
Mentors will ensure each student has meaningful, local support on their way to a postsecondary credential. The deadline to register as a mentor is Oct. 20. To learn more, visit https://tnachieves.org/mentors/apply.
In 2023, tnAchieves reimagined its mentor program to better serve both students and volunteer mentors. Mentors gained nearly four extra months to work directly with students on their college-going journey. That included a return to in-person meetings to give mentors face-to-face interaction with each student.
Mentors also received increased access to real-time data and progress updates. TnAchieves is eager to build upon these successful changes to offer a high-impact, effective mentor program for the upcoming high school senior class.
“Although at its core the mentor role remained the same, we have made several positive changes to the mentoring program in 2023,” said tnAchieves Senior Director of Mentors Tyler Ford. “As we emerge from the pandemic, we have enhanced the mentor role in a meaningful way that’s been very well-received by those currently serving. Between the added mentor/student connection time and a return to in-person meetings, we are confident in the continued impact that tnAchieves mentors will have.”
“Tennessee’s Class of 2022 saw a 1.5 percentage point increase in students entering college directly after high school,” said tnAchieves President and CEO Krissy DeAlejandro. “This represents an important step in reversing the downward trends of the pandemic and is the largest year-to-year growth since the introduction of Tennessee Promise in 2015. Mentors have played an important part in this growth. We are encouraged and eager to continue working with Tennessee Promise students to build on this success. Volunteer mentors provide a layer of local support that we can simply never replace, and the impact of their efforts is clear!”
Each tnAchieves mentor commits one hour per month to serve a group of eight to 10 high school seniors.
Mentors attend one in-person meeting hosted at the student’s high school and can choose the high school they serve.
Volunteers will receive a virtual training, handbook and weekly updates throughout their time serving students. Volunteer mentors do not need a comprehensive knowledge of the college-going process; anyone with a willingness to support and encourage local students will make a meaningful and lasting impact.
TnAchieves is a privately funded scholarship and mentoring program that seeks to provide an opportunity for every Tennessee student to earn a postsecondary degree. Contact Ford at 309-945-3446 or tyler@tnAchieves.org for more information.