Being an Enroot Mentor
As a mentor, you are a role model, adviser, friend, and guide helping your mentee to dream big, set goals, and pursue them. All mentees in the Enroot Program are immigrant high school students in Cambridge and Somerville. Some pairs meet up each week at Enroot's office for structured activities, while others meet up once a week to work on college applications at a local coffee shop. Favorite activities include: going out for hot chocolate, watching a movie, playing basketball, working on a tough homework assignment, or visiting a college – it all depends on you and your mentee’s interests and needs. You will likely guide your mentee in the following areas: building positive relationships, exploring careers, planning higher education, and practicing English. We are specifically looking for mentors who speak one (or more!) of the following languages: Spanish, Haitian Creole, Bengali, Amharic, Portuguese, or Hindi. Speaking another language is not a requirement and we encourage anyone interested to apply!
Time Commitment
Once a week for one academic year (October-June)
Mentoring typically happens between 6:00 - 7:30 PM on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday. Specific location and timing is dependent on the student's cohort and school.
TRAINING:
4 hours of initial training are required before volunteers are matched with students, and 2-4 hours of ongoing training after mentors and students are matched. Training covers cultural competency, best practices of mentoring, and sharing successes and challenges with fellow mentors.
network with volunteers:
There are optional meet-up events throughout the year mentors are invited to attend.
Mentor Application
Please click here to fill out our online application →
After a volunteer orientation, a phone interview, background check, and initial training, we match you with a student based on your interests, strengths, and preferences. Enroot prioritizes strong matches and do not match all mentors to students immediately. Enroot staff support you throughout your time as a mentor. While the initial commitment is one academic year, many pairs continue their relationship for multiple years.
What Enroot Mentors have to say:
“My student and I found that we both share a love of fine dining. Specifically, ramen. We’ve had opportunities to push each other whether it’s in learning new SAT words and colloquialisms, eating absurd amounts of ramen, or standing up and publicly sharing our dreams in a ramen shop. ”
“I’ve been volunteering with Enroot for the past two years, during which time I have worked with two incredible students who recently immigrated to the US. Bonding with my mentees by sharing my personal experiences and learning of their interesting life stories has been very rewarding. As someone who recently moved to the US, I understand the impact that mentors have, and I am honored to work with a program that values such relationships.”
“I am in my second year volunteering as a mentor with Enroot. We meet weekly and have spent time practicing English, playing chess and card games, and when the weather allows, we like to go outside to play basketball. Volunteering with Enroot has been a very rewarding experience. Not only have I been able to create a strong mentorship bond with my student, but I also have become part of a great community of fellow mentors who are kind, creative, and strengthen our community.”