Community Mentor Program
St. Edward's
University
The Community Mentor
Program (CMP) is designed to promote community service, career exploration,
academic achievement, and student retention for both St. Edward's University
students and for more than 500 Austin Independent School District elementary
school children.
St. Edward's students
serve as mentors and tutors to students at risk of dropping out of school.
CMP also has a partnership with Legal Aid of Central Texas with students
providing intake interviews and supporting the legal staff in providing
effective and efficient services. Students perform an average of 17 service
hours per week and 450 service hours per academic year. They receive an
education stipend and van transportation between St. Edward's and the
service site.
Approximately two-thirds
of CMP participants are Hispanic students from migrant and seasonal farm
worker families who serve as mentors, tutors, and teachers' aides to primarily
second and third grade Hispanic students.
The primary objectives
of CMP are to
- foster leadership
roles for economically disadvantaged Hispanic students from families
of migrant laborers who attend St. Edward's University;
- provide college
student participants with a well-designed structure that promotes active
career planning and management throughout their college experience;
- offer paid community
service opportunities which will enable 85 percent of the student mentors
to complete their degrees;
- promote the development
of service-learning activities and curricula at the university and k-12
academic institutions;
- improve the academic
performance, class attendance, and classroom involvement of children
who are enrolled in public elementary schools in Austin, Texas; and
- improve early intervention
to elementary-aged children who are the siblings of known juvenile offenders.
The following agencies,
foundations, and institutions currently support the Community Mentor Program:
the Corporation for National Service; the Office of the Governor of Texas,
Criminal Justice Division; City of Austin/Travis County (under the auspices
of the Community Action Network); the American Honda Foundation; and St.
Edward's University.
For further information,
contact Donna Hagey, Community Mentor Program, St. Edward's University,
3001 South Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78704. Telephone (512) 448-8594.
This summary is provided by the Texas Youth Commission. For more information about programs and research relating to children, youth, and family issues, contact us by e-mail at prevention@tyc.state.tx.us or by telephone at (512) 424-6336.
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Prevention Summary
Texas Youth Commission