iMentor

To help students understand options for college and beyond, BASE has partnered with iMentor.  At BASE iMentor plays a large part of our school culture and  community. iMentor NYC is a school-based mentoring program matching public high school students in New York City in one-to-one relationships with college-educated mentors. iMentor partners with public schools to ensure every student at our school receives a mentor. Mentor-mentee pairs are matched for four years and exchange weekly emails and meet monthly in person.

iMentor will pair every student with a personal mentor for four years.  Mentors have gone to college and understand what it’s like to be in high school.  Mentors will work one-on-one with their student mentees to help them gain the skills they need, such as setting goals, managing time and work, and improving communication skills.  Mentors will also help students identify different colleges they might be interested in and help with the application and financial aid process.  Mentors are like personal coaches—specifically dedicated to supporting mentees and helping them achieve their dreams.

As a part of the iMentor experience, students will participate in weekly classroom sessions during the school day, led by an iMentor Program Coordinator.  During the class session, mentees will learn about the iMentor curriculum, as well as read and respond to an email from their mentor.  The emails give mentees a chance to get to know their mentor, ask questions, and share thoughts about school, life, and college planning.  Mentors and mentees will also meet in person once a month at group events at school or a college campus.  At events, students and their mentors will participate in group activities with classmates and mentors.

During their time together, mentors and mentees will work through the iMentor curriculum focusing on four goals:

• Developing a strong personal relationship
• Nurturing students’ interest in and desire to attend college
• Building the essential life skills needed for success in college
• Providing individualized help navigating the college application process

It isn’t too early to think about next steps after high school.  In order to successfully apply to and complete college, it’s important to start developing the skills and knowledge for college now, while in high school.