Mentoring

The College Now Mentoring Program works to increase college persistence and completion rates for College Now and Say Yes scholarship recipients. When the Mentoring Program was piloted in 2011, it began with a small cohort of 43 scholarship recipients. The program now serves all College Now and Say Yes recipients with scholarship dollars and mentoring. In total, the program will work with 1,700 mentor and mentee pairs for the 2023-2024 academic year. 

Research demonstrates that positive mentoring relationships can have a significant impact on low-income and first-generation college students, often being the key to a student’s success. In addition, students have endured significant challenges over the last few years as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the College Now Mentoring Program has provided them with an extra layer of support though navigating these obstacles. 

The College Now Mentoring Program is also unique in that the bulk of communication is done through an online platform. Mentors and mentees communicate several times a month via this platform, using a curriculum developed by College Now. Pairs also meet three times per year, either in-person, on the phone, or virtually. The time commitment to mentor is minimal, but the impact is significant, as the program boasts a 94% retention rate from students’ freshman to sophomore year, and a 71% graduation rate for mentored students. Cleveland’s business community has supported this program, too, with mentors representing more than 500 local employers participating in the program. 

Learn more about the College Now Mentoring Program and how you can get involved at the links below.