Apply to be a Valley Scholars Mentor
News
Valley Scholars is a university community outreach program designed to increase access to higher education for students in the Shenandoah Valley. First generation college students and students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds face much greater educational challenges than those coming from families of financial means. Our program has set out to begin addressing this within the Shenandoah Valley by overcoming some of the barriers that contribute to these discouraging statistics. To do this, we provide additional academic and emotional support to both students and families as well as financially remove the cost of tuition for the student if accepted to JMU upon completion of the program. It is our goal to see more first generation students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds graduate with a four-year degree. To create this change for students within the Shenandoah Valley we need the help of a committed group of James Madison University mentors!
Who are we looking for and how does the program work?
Students who have completed more than 50 hours of coursework may apply to be apart of the class. The experience is open to all majors.
The mentor experience with Valley Scholars will be both a classroom based program and a field experience. Mentors will meet with their mentee each week, and also attend a bi-weekly class designed to provide support and guidance throughout the experience. Mentors will be matched with mentees in the cities of Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg, and the counties of Rockingham, Augusta, Shenandoah and Page.The class will meet bi-weekly at 4:00pm on Tuesdays and will be for two credit hours per semester. Dr. Kristi Doubet, with the College of Education,will be facilitating the course for the Valley Scholars program.
Why should I sign up?
As a JMU student you've prepared for, applied to, were admitted and are now attending college. For many students in the Shenandoah Valley this is a daunting process and one they don't believe is available to them. Great mentors can change that! In addition, mentors will have the opportunity to learn from and interact with faculty and staff from across JMU and within local schools. You will be exposed to leadership and mentoring theory and practice. Finally, you will have the opportunity to develop lasting relationships with motivated local youth, as well as meet other students from across the JMU community participating in the experience.
Here are mentor reflections from the spring of 2015:
“I feel incredibly honored to have been a part of and witnessed the growth in my mentees this semester…”
“I learned more about myself through this program than I could have ever imagined. Being able to invest my time and energy into building relationships and helping these students shed some light on what I want to do with my life.”
To apply visit this site. Applications are being accepted through August 26, 2015. If you have questions please contact Shaun Mooney, Director Valley Scholars program.
