Mentor Application

Welcome

Potential Influential Mentor,

The roots of a 300-foot Redwood tree are actually quite shallow, reaching only about 5 feet deep. In order to grow so tall, these trees weave roots together to support each other.

Our Mission Statement: Mentors interact with school, community, and families in order to strengthen the support network for students facing adversity.

Many middle school students today are involved in numerous part-time or seasonal activities. These activities are usually independent and adults working with these students often have a hard time connecting teachable moments and learning experiences from one thing to the next. Many students go home to families that are busy or overwhelmed.

You may have heard of our growing opportunity gap within our school systems. This gap is both academic and social. Some students have a support network like the great Redwood trees but others are less connected and may have a more difficult time closing that gap. We provide coaching for students facing adversity so they have the support to continue growing upward and reach their greatest potential .

We are looking for adults who are passionate about our next generation and have previous experience working with youth, currently work with youth, or are seeking a way to have an impact. These mentors will help bridge the gap between the other programs in which students are involved. Current and past mentors have bridged this gap by being available to listen and advocate for their mentee.

Our goal is to provide you with the resources needed so this commitment is sustainable alongside your normal schedule. We will work with you to make this work, so that it can work for the student. Unlike other programs, we believe that even coaches need coaches, so we connect our mentors with other mentors and provide them with a mentor coach. We also understand the complexities of the systems (school, etc.) our students live in and uniquely provide tools and connections for mentors to be able to work throughout these systems.

If you volunteer for this program you will be:
● intentionally matched with a 4th-8th grade student through our human-matching program based on interests, availability, and other traits.
● provided resources and training to find these gaps and reach the student to make a difference

Your training role will be:
● 1 hour meeting once a month with your mentor coach and coaching group

Your mentoring role will be:
● 1 meeting per week with your student (potentially other check-ins)
● Communication to school and family

Please fill out the application on the next page and contact Katie Imhoff-Smith with any questions.

262-366-0030
katiemae@intentionalmentoringmadison.org