Would you like to make a difference in the life of a young person who really needs you right now?

College Now Greater Cleveland is seeking 900 mentors to work with freshmen entering college this fall, including the first recipients of Cleveland’s Say Yes to Education scholarships.

It’s a tall order to fill. And that’s why WKYC will take part in a one-day “Mentor Monday” recruitment blitz to spread the word and help find volunteers.

On Monday, March 4, TV3 will share information during all of its newscasts about College Now’s innovative e-mentoring program. As part of Mentor Monday, WKYC also will host a reception to recognize employees of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District who were among the first to sign up.

Mentoring is a critical part of Say Yes Cleveland, which will provide tuition scholarships to two generations of students who live in the District and graduate from CMSD or partnering charter high schools. Say Yes also will align services to address academic, social-emotional, and health and wellness obstacles that prevent student success.

Volunteer mentors invest a minimal amount of time, communicating with students in two emails per month and three meetings per year. 

But the results are positive – having a College Now mentor has been proven to help scholarship recipients persist in their postsecondary studies and graduate from college. Many of the students are the first in their families to attend college and can benefit from a mentor’s experience

Requirements to become a mentor are simple: You must have a college degree, commit to a four-year relationship with a student and go through a brief training process.

New volunteers who sign up on Mentor Monday will join more than 1,000 other professionals who are committed to changing a student’s life and investing in our future workforce.

Apply here by April 1 to be considered for a match in summer 2019. Contact Madeline Rife at College Now (mrife@collegenowgc.org or 216.635.0163) for more information.