Coach Mentoring Program – Middle and High School, Affinity Groups

High school students are matched with a mentor in their industry of choice to provide individual support.

Coach Mentoring is a year-long program that matches 10th grade students with industry professionals that help support them in envisioning and planning their career and post-secondary journey.  A Coach Mentoring Program Coordinator recruits students from their CTE classes and/or based on specific demographic information tailored towards affinity spaces.

Students and mentors participate in facilitated monthly sessions that include topics such as: Informational interviewing, job shadowing, career exploration, resume building, college visits, and more. The program ends with a celebration and presentation of learning that summarizes their takeaways and their future plans based on their experience in the program.

Middle School Cohorts:

• A similar mentoring program is currently facilitated at two middle school locations.  Middle school students engage in self exploration activities designed to deepen their career identity and plan for high school

Affinity Cohorts:

• Affinity groups are designated “safe spaces,” where everyone in that group shares a particular identity. For people who are often underrepresented, underserved and often excluded by the systems in which they operate, an affinity space can offer community and reduce feelings of isolation through the benefit of shared experiences. This offers an opportunity for young people to see themselves reflected in others and boost their confidence around what success and achievement look like to them.

• Currently we offer affinity mentoring for BIPOC and Spanish speaking students, as well as Women in STEAM.  We hope to expand to serve our Special Education and LGBTQIA+ students.

If you are interested in learning more about the Coach Mentoring Program, please reach out to Courtney Ward at courtney_ward@dpsk12.net