Volunteer Mentors
Cambridge Community Services is seeking volunteer mentors to provide career and personal guidance to Cambridge high school students who are enrolled in our City Links program. At this time we are seeking specifically male mentors as we have an overwhelmingly low number of male mentors and high number of male students interested in being mentees. Our students attend Cambridge Rindge & Latin, the city's sole public high school, and represent a variety of ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Many are from low-income families and all are recent immigrants to the U.S. Most City Links students are the first in their families to consider attending post-secondary college or a university.
A MENTOR IS…
A trusted advisor, a role model, a guide, a friend… every relationship is a little bit different. An effective mentor:
Is a caring adult who is consistent and dependable
- Appreciates and celebrates each youth's potential
- Is committed to developing a positive relationship with a young person
- Is willing to take the time to introduce a youth to the many options and opportunities in his or her future
MENTORS GUIDE YOUNG PEOPLE IN A VARIETY OF AREAS INCLUDING:
Developing leadership skills
- Community service and civic engagement
- Building positive relationships
- Exploring careers
- Succeeding in school
- Workplace readiness
- Higher education planning
TIME COMMITMENT:
Mentors meet with their "mentees" weekly. The first meetings are held at Cambridge Community Services offices on Wednesdays in the early evening. We ask that volunteers make a service commitment of at least the rest of this academic year.
MENTOR TRAINING:
All mentors are expected to attend a comprehensive four-session training series, during the last two weeks in January. Topics covered include adolescent development, communication skills, and cross-cultural issues. Training sessions are interactive and dynamic, and usually take place in the early evening hours.
