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Meet Our Near Peer Mentors!

We are excited to announce the 26 mentors for the 2024-25 academic school year. This year our program focused on expanding the collaboration with Portland State’s School of Social Work and was able to offer seven positions for students interested in completing their social work practicum within the mentor role. Additionally, two mentors are completing their teaching practicum with the Rise to Teach Program at Portland Community College.

About 79% of our mentors identified as Black, Indigenous, or people of color, and 54% reported they are first-generation college students. We have a little more than half of the mentors being ½ûÂþÌìÌà alums (54%), while 46% are from other school districts. In regards to their academic focus in college, the majority are either in social work (25%) and psychology or education (12.5%) while others range from nursing to political science. 

Our mentors partner up with Partner Teachers as community insiders and infuse the classroom with college and career readiness exposure activities. So far, mentors have facilitated 19 college, career, and financial literacy-related workshops, including topics of knowing oneself, identifying management skills, hearing from professionals in the architecture and marketing field to learning about financial institutions, and building credit.

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WATCH: HEAR FROM OUR NEAR PEER MENTORS

Near Peer Mentors (NPMs)

Integrating resources and insights of families, educators, and mentors is key to creating an academic environment where students thrive, have the tools and skills to succeed, and aspire to higher education and careers. To take action on that vision, the Near Peer Mentor Program places teams of college-attending mentors, young pre-professionals recruited from the local community, with partner teachers to provide mentoring services in the classroom. THE NEAR PEER MENTOR PROGRAM CAN BE IMPLEMENTED FOR TEACHERS IN ALL COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS AND ONE ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL - ALLIANCE @ MEEK CAMPUS.

What do NPMs do in the classroom? NPMs collaborate with teacher partners to enrich the classroom environment and engage students by sharing their voice and lived experience, model behaviors and attitudes conducive to academic success, provide college and career exposure activities, and help students develop a strong, positive college- and career identity. 

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How are NPMs and their Partner Teachers supported? GEAR UP, in partnership with College & Career Readiness, provides wrap-around support for NPMs with a team of School College Coordinators, AmeriCorps members, and TOSAs. NPMs receive close supervision, quality coaching, and professional development retreats throughout their work.