Higher Education Mentoring Program InternAt — Project Youth OC

Higher Education Mentoring Program Intern

Developed in 2002 and served over 400 participants, the Higher Education Mentoring Program is a 2-year college-access program that prepares predominantly Latino high school students in the Santa Ana Unified School District attain a higher education through workshops and mentoring from the community and business professionals.

The program’s main role is to host academic and personal development workshops and pair high school juniors and seniors with volunteer mentors who are college students or working professionals. The program hosts a few socials each year and also encourages parent involvement through Spanish-language workshops for Latino parents to learn about the higher education system.

HIGHER EDUCATION MENTORING PROGRAM INTERN DESCRIPTION

1. Workshop Coordination: Assist program coordinator with workshop preparation such as marketing flyers, creating RSVP forms, student outreach, and workshop set-up and clean-up
2. Data Collection and Entry: Assist program staff with confidential data collection and entry into the Salesforce database system.
3. Program Engagement: Creating marketing materials such as monthly bulletins, flyers, and Instagram posts for students, parents, mentors and community partners.
4. Mentoring: Building rapport with students and families during workshops and socials. Facilitating group or one-on-on meetings. Assisting students with college or financial aid applications, college or career-related topics, sharing advice, providing a welcoming environment and support system, etc. *Availability Thursday evenings is required*
5. Administrative: Assist program staff with organizational tasks, phone calls, updating program forms, and other projects as assigned.

Training:
1. Mandated Reporter Training
2. Counseling on Access to Lethal Means
3. Suicide Awareness Training
4. Drug and Alcohol Training
5. Juvenile Justice and Restorative Justice Training
6. Adolescent Development Training
7. Sexual Health and Access Training
8. Mental Health Training
9. General employer orientation training
10. Weekly scheduled one-on-one mentor meetings
11. Job shadowing

Learning outcomes:

1. Gain skills in program and event coordination.
2. Become a mentor to high school students through relationship building and meeting facilitation.
3. Collect and analyze program data to establish future program goals.

Skills to be acquired: workshop coordination, marketing, outreach, database knowledge, case management, higher education mentoring, interpersonal skills, organizational skills, attention to detail