Group announces new mentoring program

Staff report

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The Eastern Ohio P-16 Partnership for Education unveiled a new mentoring program for Trumbull and Mahoning County high school students that will begin in the fall of 2011.

“LEADING forward — cultivating and mentoring tomorrow’s leaders” is designed to help students transition from high school to post-secondary education by providing the students with information, skills, resources and tools to make the transition, said Stephanie Shaw, P-16 executive director.

The program will be open to low-income sophomores and juniors with a GPA from 2.5 to 3.4, who would be the first in their families to go to college.

Students must be willing to commit to a four-hour Saturday program that runs throughout the academic year. The Saturday experience will include English, math, reading and science instruction and a KAPLAN SAT course that will run six weeks to prepare for college-entrance exams.

At the end of each session, the students will be paired up with a mentor to work on college readiness (how to apply for scholarships, fill out forms and select a college and a career path). Each student also will have the opportunity to spend a summer on campus at a university or college.

Transportation will be provided to and from the program as well as meals before and after the Saturday classes.

P-16 is seeking young professionals from the community to mentor the students and sponsors to contribute to the cost of the program. Each student will have two mentors.

“P-16 is very excited about LEADING forward, and we are hopeful to attract young professional volunteers and sponsors to make this program a success,” Shaw said.

She noted that P-16 plans to expand the program into Ashtabula and Columbiana counties in the future.

The Partnership is a year-old coalition of business people, educators, civic and community leaders from Mahoning, Trumbull, Ashtabula and Columbiana counties created to foster better outcomes for students at each educational level in the four counties.

The coalition is dedicated to developing and implementing a seamless system of excellent education and emphasizing a commitment to lifelong learning that will result in improved outcomes for students and a better quality of life for all.

For information or to get involved, contact Shaw at 330-393-5974 or by e-mail at sshaw@easternohiop16.org.