Volunteer to Help First Generation College Students

Parents Forum
1

Thanks to @Mwfan1921 I learned about Scholar Match, an organization that supports underserved youth become the first generation to attend and graduate from college.

Below is some information from the program:

Thank you for your interest in our Volunteer Program! ScholarMatch is currently recruiting individuals with college degrees who would like to volunteer for our 2022-23 Destination College Program. As a student-centered organization serving over 93% of teens of color, we are committed to seeking, prioritizing, and learning from potential volunteers who identify as first-generation college students, people of color, and/or LGBTQI individuals.

What you’ll do:

  • Mentor students remotely from your home

What you’ll commit to:

  • A yearlong commitment to help high school seniors through the college application process
  • Approximately 4-6 hours per month to advise students on specific topics related to the college application process
  • Completing our online trainings and passing a background check

Sign up!

  • Our registration for new volunteers opened on April 1st You can register HERE

Thank you for your interest in supporting first-generation students to achieve their higher education dreams!

Should you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reply to this message, or email advising@scholarmatch.org. We look forward to hearing from you!

5 Likes
2

Thanks for posting this @AustenNut!

Many of you are qualified to do this, if you have any questions I’m happy to answer them, either here or via PM.

2 Likes
3

Great idea! thanks for sharing

1 Like
4

@homerdog ?

2 Likes
5

I just signed up to do this! Thanks @AustenNut !

2 Likes
6

This year I have been helping kids like this here on CC, with application essays and applications in general. Hoping others join me for the next year.

2 Likes
7

Bringing back this old thread because I saw @Mwfan1921 mention it again, this time in the SAT thread - I’m going to attend the introductory session in January, but I’m definitely interested in hearing about anyone’s experiences volunteering with Scholarmatch. @Mwfan1921, if I have any questions afterwards, I will definitely let you know!

3 Likes
8

I am totally going to do this once my own kids are off at college!

1 Like
9

I am a Scholarmatch Volunteer. Sadly, I’ve had almost no student interaction because of the time zone I’m in. They prefer West Coast volunteers.

10

Are there any such organizations that focus on east coast students?

11

I’m sure there are others. I happen to have heard of this group looking for volunteers in the Tri State area.

3 Likes
12

Great. I’ll check this out. Thank you!

1 Like
13

Not sure what city/area you are in but just googling college access orgs would bring some up that are close to you.

Here are some I know of on the east coast (or have chapters on the east coast):

Do you know of any more on the east coast @hebegebe?

There has been a proliferation of college access orgs, which is great but on the other hand it is very fragmented…too fragmented really for optimal fundraising, operations, and such.

2 Likes
14

Thanks so much, I’ll check these out. I live in New Jersey and work in NYC so either location is fine if in-person engagement is required.

2 Likes
15

I didn’t want to assume you were in NJ :rofl:

There will be tons of options near your home, in NYC, or working with one of the nationally based orgs. I expect all do remote work.

I know lindagaf hasn’t had good success with scholarmatch, but they do have students from all over the country and are growing quickly. They are running online info sessions this month if you think they could be a good fit…one of their strengths is they actually provide decent college counseling training. They just don’t send people in unprepared to help with essays, apps, etc. The online session days/times are on this page, near the bottom: College Coach | ScholarMatch

2 Likes
16

That’ll be very helpful. I guess I’ll start with scholarmatch then. I’m fine with remote but would love to help more locally.

1 Like
17

I did an extensive training program with them. It took many hours. They definitely check to ensure people are qualified to help. One reason why it was so frustrating to not be matched with anyone. @DadOfJerseyGirl , honestly, I’d consider a more local regional group. I spent a lot of time completing their program. They do great work, but they prefer west coast people. My experience.

18

I see. Got it.
Thanks for the feedback @Lindagaf

19

I attended the first overview presentation this year for ScholarMatch: honestly, it didn’t cover anything you can’t find on the website.

3 Likes
20

I don’t, but I will put in a plug for one you already mentioned, Minds Matter, which I have been working with.

2 Likes