Mentors for an Elgin Community College higher-education readiness program are being sought for the 2017-18 school year, according to a college news release.
In its fifth year, the Transition Academy is a service provided for high school students in ECC’s district boundaries. Its goal is “to prepare for college, solve problems more effectively and make positive academic and life choices through mutually respective relationships between students and mentors.”
In order to operate normally, the Transition Academy needs 35 to 45 volunteer mentors per year, said Libby Roeger, ECC’s dean of developmental education and college transitions, in an email. The mentors gather at ECC’s main campus one Saturday a month for 90 minutes, to meet with students and provide guidance and assistance.
However, Roeger said ECC needs more now as the size of the program has increased over the years.
“Each mentor has the opportunity to act as a sounding board for our students and to offer support to our students as they navigate through high school and into college,” said Roeger via the ECC news release. “The caring relationships that our mentors provide to our students helps give them the additional support needed to take learning risks necessary for academic success.”
Mentors must attend a training session and meet eligibility screening requirements. The next training session is slated for Nov. 4, with a meeting with their mentees happening after the training.
For information on the ECC Transition Academy or the mentor application process, contact Cathy Schaff at 847- 214-7909 or cschaff@elgin.edu.
