Mentors

Mentor Eligibility

21 years or older - Same gender - Not an immediate family member - Not reside in the same residence - Have a genuine interest the student's success - Attend Mentor training - Have 4 contacts per month with the cadet during the Post-Residential Phase - Provide Case Manager with a monthly report - help the cadet obtain long-term goals - be willing to commit at least 14 months to the cadet.

The Mentor Component

The primary goal of the mentoring component is to assess and match each cadet with an adult within the community in order to develop and sustain their relationship. The cadet and family are asked to nominate a volunteer from their community to be the cadet’s   mentor. This adult acts as a friend, companion, supporter, and role model to the cadet while engaging in activities of mutual interest. The mentor reinforces the new skills of the cadets and acts as a catalyst for personal growth and achievement. Mentors are asked to help guide and counsel the cadet as he or she begins the transition to employment, higher education, vocational training, military or completing the high school diploma.

Mentoring is an act of community building. Mentors are entrusted with molding a young person into a contributing and productive member of society. Mentoring is the process of sharing personal knowledge, experience, and skills with a less experienced youth. It is a big but rewarding commitment. Mentors will visit their cadets approximately three times while the cadets are in the residential phase. During the Post-Residential Phase, the mentor must have a minimum of 4 hours of contact per month with his or her cadet. Mentors are required to submit monthly reports which provide information on the progress of the cadet's Post-Residential Action Plan (P-RAP). Mentors and cadets are required to do one service to community project each quarter of the Post-Residential Phase.