We are back! Can you think of a mentor in your life who influenced your decisions, habits, or future for the better? You could be that mentor to a high school student! Each year in the fall, Clairemont High School recruits industry and community volunteers who would like to mentor students in each of our Academy Pathways. Our goal is to connect every 11th grader at CHS with a mentor who can share their interests and hard-won wisdom as they guide our students through the challenges of academics and career decision-making. If you believe that education and student guidance are foundational to our society, please read on and volunteer to become a mentor today!
Apply to Mentor
Apply to mentor here by completing our online Mentor Application Profile Form 2022-23 This form will require 15 minutes to complete as it provides us with a detailed profile of each volunteer and helps us carefully match mentors to students. Deadline to apply is October 6, 2022! Want to preview the questions on our registration form? Just download our CHS Mentor Profile Worksheet.
Mentor Program Overview
- Flyer: Check out our Mentor Program Flyer 2022-23
- Fast Facts: Click here for a printable PDF version of the Fast Facts and Scheduled Meetings CHS Mentor Program 2022-23
- Structure: Mentors meet with CHS 11th grade students monthly on campus for about one hour and a half.
- Materials: All forms, session agendas, monthly activities, and training materials are provided.
- Commitment: Mentors make an 8 month commitment: one meeting per month October through May. It is important that mentors attend each and every session.
- Session Topics: Agendas are pre-planned and focus on topics such as: Communication, SMART Goals, Academic Success, Action Planning, Career-Planning, and Resume & Interview Skills. See our Mentor Handbook!
- Location: Sessions are held at the Clairemont High School Library, supervised by CHS staff.
- Times: Sessions are each 85 minutes in length including mentor announcements prior to each student meeting. Mentors choose one time block to commit to for the year.
- Dates: All mentor monthly sessions are on the 2nd Thursday of each month. Exact dates are pre-scheduled (see below) and can also be found, with specified meeting topics, on our Mentor Program Flyer.
Process to Become a Volunteer Mentor:
STEP 1: MENTOR APPLICATION & PROFILE FORM ONLINE: Adult community partners interested in mentoring should read the details of the mentor program carefully on this page, and then fill out the online Mentor Application Profile Form as early as possible. Potential mentor applications will be reviewed, and those selected to mentor for the year will be contacted by Clairemont High.
STEP 2. MENTOR ORIENTATION:
All mentors who did not mentor last school year must attend one orientation. Orientations will be offered on:
-September 22 (Thurs) 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM in person at Clairemont High School
-October 5 (Wed) 8:30 - 9:30 AM on Zoom (link will be sent out via email once mentor registers)
Here you can also preview the Mentor Orientation PowerPoint Presentation.
STEP 3. VOLUNTEER SCREENING AND PAPERWORK: Mentors must follow our district volunteer screening requirements. Volunteers must:
- Be sponsored or approved by a school site or district employee (CHS Mentor Program)
- Be able to present some form of current government-issued photo identification (driver’s license, passport, military ID, US or other government identification)
- Background clearance is given through the Livescan fingerprinting process. New volunteers submit their fingerprints to both State and National databases and may get processed at a location of their choice. Volunteers must use the NEW Request to Conduct Volunteer Screening Form and pay the Livescan fees directly to the Livescan administrator. Livescan location options can be found here.
- Complete and return a School Volunteer Application to the site and/or department of interest.
- Present a Tuberculosis clearance card – Use the TB Risk assessment form or provide a copy of proof of negative TB Test result current within the last 12 months.
- Read and acknowledge understanding of the Volunteer Code of Conduct.
- Use the “Volunteer Sign-in process” in the main office
- Upon approval, be required to display a volunteer identification badge to be surrendered at the conclusion of the day’s volunteer activity
All volunteers need to please submit all the above forms, together as a School Volunteer Application packet, in hard copy to Clairemont High School Admin Aide Ms. Heidi Fulton in the Clairemont Front Office. You may reach Heidi for questions at [email protected]
STEP 4: MATCHING STUDENTS TO MENTORS: Academy staff carefully match each mentor with a student group based on similarities such as personality traits, hobbies, and career interests. Mentors and students each fill out an extensive profile that helps make this match. The mentoring relationships will formally last one school year. In the past, the majority of our mentors and students have agreed they were very well matched! For more info about the goals of the mentor program, mentoring techniques and guidelines, and detailed agendas and activities for each mentor meeting, see the Mentor Handbook pdf link at the bottom of this page.
Mentor Responsibilities
We expect mentors to:
- Commit to attending all scheduled meetings for the year
- Be on time to meetings and CHS staff if there is a sudden conflict
- Be positive
- Share with students about your career, successes, lessons learned, etc.
Listen to students with an open mind
- Complete all forms related to the Volunteer Mentor Process noted above
- Respond to e-mail correspondences in a timely manner
- Be a resource to students when they desire career advice or business contacts
- Notify CHS staff if students need additional guidance or if mentor has any concerns
- Read and sign the Mentoring Contract before meeting students
Materials and Printable Documents
FOR MENTORS:
FOR STUDENTS: