The power of nine years of mentorship

At SAVE, students have the opportunity to receive consistent mentorship and services for NINE years! We believe in the power of long-term, consistent programming, meaning our students receive mentorship, future-readiness, and academic support bi-weekly from elementary school all the way through high school graduation. 

The vision is simple: students from our nine partnered elementary schools join our free program, which takes them on consistent, bi-weekly field trips to college campuses for mentorship and positive experiences. Once those same students enter middle and high school, SAVE staff & mentors go to their school bi-weekly during school hours for academic check-ins, extracurricular advising, future-readiness programming, mentorship, and resource provision. 

Our Follow Through Program Director, Diran Missak, thinks that the consistent nature of our program is what makes it work. “We are consistently holding students accountable. We provide consistent check-ins and advice, which in turn, teaches them how to consistently monitor their own progress and check-in on themselves,” which is a necessary skill for future success.  

So why does this all matter? Because our students benefit! Research shows that long-term mentorship not only works, but is sometimes absolutely vital for student success. Below are some of the reasons we do what we do.  

1. Increased school engagement and achievement:

• "Students who participate in long-term mentoring relationships show increased engagement in school, higher grades, and improved attendance, which are critical factors in long-term academic success."
  — Wheeler, M. E., Keller, T. E., & DuBois, D. L. (2010). "Review of three recent randomized trials of school-based mentoring."

2. Improved academic outcomes for at-risk youth:

• "Youth who are considered at risk of academic failure significantly benefit from consistent mentorship, showing improvements in standardized test scores, GPA, and attitudes toward school."
  — Dubois, D. L., & Silverthorn, N. (2005). "Natural mentoring relationships and adolescent health: Evidence from a national study."

3. Greater persistence in school and higher educational aspirations:

• "Students with mentors are more likely to persist in school and report higher educational aspirations, including intentions to attend college, particularly when mentorship relationships are sustained over multiple years."
  — Heckman, J. J., & Kautz, T. (2014). "Fostering and measuring skills: Interventions that improve character and cognition."

4. Reduction in dropout rates:

• "Sustained mentoring over a period of two or more years is linked to significantly lower dropout rates, particularly among high school students in underserved communities."
  — Dynarski, M., Clarke, L., Cobb, B., Finn, J., Rumberger, R., & Smink, J. (2008). "Dropout prevention: A practice guide."

5. Bridging the academic achievement gap:

• "Long-term mentoring can help bridge the academic achievement gap for minority students, with mentored students often outperforming non-mentored peers in math and reading scores over time."
  — Gershenson, S., Holt, S. B., & Papageorge, N. W. (2016). "Who believes in me? The effect of student–teacher demographic match on teacher expectations."

6. Higher rates of college enrollment:

• "Youth who have long-term mentors are significantly more likely to apply for and attend college, with mentorship being a key factor in navigating the college admissions process, particularly for first-generation college students."
  — Stephan, J. L., & Rosenbaum, J. E. (2013). "Can high schools reduce college enrollment gaps with a new counseling model?"

There is POWER in long-term consistency!