Academic Mentors
The Academic Mentors Program creates opportunities for highly motivated, high-achieving students in the 5th to 12th grades to explore a career and/or field of interest in ways that are not possible through the regular classroom experience. Students selected for the program are passionate about a topic area and are matched with outstanding community volunteers who share that same passion as a career or vocation. Mentorships last approximately six hours, in one to six sessions, and culminate with a student presentation in the classroom. Examples of past mentorship topics include veterinary medicine, architecture, engineering, theater, creative writing and many more!
“The mentorship was a meaningful, topic-oriented connection with another adult other than her teacher or parent. The sense of ‘being invested in’ by this generous volunteer adult is powerful for self-esteem.”
“It was beneficial for Emerson to have the opportunity to explore a topic that interested him, [and] to go into depth in a way no teacher in elementary school can.”
“I began to really see myself as a writer, and I could begin to imagine the necessary steps towards my goal of becoming a published author.”
“Having the opportunity to be involved in a young person’s excitement about one of my passions was wonderful! ”
Teachers
Are you interested in nominating an outstanding student for the Academic Mentors Project?
Students must be in the 5th-12th grades. There is no fee to participate in the program. Students formally identified through the gifted and talented testing process are given first priority. Ideal candidates are those students who have shown an interest or passion in a particular topic over an extended period of time and have the maturity and motivation to work one on one with an adult. Students who benefit most from the program often lack such opportunities due to socio-economic hardship, family situation, language barriers or other challenges. A parent or school personnel must be willing and able to support the mentorship by providing the time and transportation required to enable the student to complete the program. Student nominations are carefully screened by the program manager and selected based on the student’s level of interest, maturity and motivation. The Academic Mentors Program currently serves over 80 students per school year, and nominations are limited to a maximum of two per elementary school, three per middle school and three per K-8 school.
For further information on the program please contact Laura Kent at (720) 423-1222 or laura_kent@dpsk12.org.
Volunteers
Are you interested in sharing your career, hobby or passion with a DPS student?
Volunteering as an Academic Mentor is a rewarding experience and a relatively easy way to make a significant difference in the life of a young person. The project provides opportunities for learning that are not available in the regular classroom and gives a student an opportunity to explore an area of passion in depth. A student and their Academic Mentor work on a project designed to help the student learn more about a particular career or increase their understanding and competence in an area of outstanding ability. Each mentorship culminates with the student sharing their learning experience in the form of a classroom presentation. Volunteer mentors are recruited based upon students’ areas of passion, which include everything from art to zoology!
For further information on the program please contact Laura Kent at (720) 423-1222 or laura_kent@dpsk12.org.