Mentoring - Austin Partners in Education

Secondary School Mentoring

Mentors meet with students one-on-one during the school day to provide student-centered, relationship-based support.

APIE Mentor Program Update

Last Updated: July 12, 2023

Austin Partners in Education’s (APIE) mission is to provide college and career readiness support through individualized academic and mentoring programs to prepare students for success. The APIE Mentor Program is available at all participating AISD middle and high school campuses. We no longer manage elementary school mentoring (please read below to learn more about this).

Interested in Elementary School Mentoring?

As APIE transitioned away from elementary school mentoring during the 2019-2020 school year, AISD’s Mentor Coordinator, David Torres, began managing elementary school mentors. In the 2023-24 school year, David will connect new and returning mentors with elementary school campuses. Like AISD’s school-based volunteers, APIE will continue to process the background checks for AISD’s elementary school mentors.

If you are interested in mentoring an elementary school student, please review the list of organizations that provide elementary school mentoring services and follow their instructions to sign up. If you have questions about this, please contact David Torres at david.torres@austinisd.org.

Reasons to Mentor

Mentors are caring, trusted adults who help young people strengthen their social and emotional skills, build self-confidence, achieve goals, explore opportunities, and expand their web of support.

Research from the Mentoring Center shows mentoring positively impacts students by:

helping them deal with day-to-day challenges.
improving their academic outcomes.
reducing the engagement in high-risk behaviors like substance abuse.

What we look for in a mentor

Mentors commit to building a healthy, supportive relationship with their mentees by consistently showing up for them once a week throughout the school year.

Mentors need to:

Express Empathy and Acceptance.
Support and Empower their Mentee.
Be Reliable and Consistent.

Advocating for my student and being a source of encouragement has been fulfilling as I can remember how tough high school was at times. Being able to celebrate his accomplishments and remind him that his hard work has helped create some tremendous opportunities has been impactful as well. I love being able to affirm his intellect and his work ethic, and I can see his confidence grow with every season!

Sam D.

I like talking to my mentor because she listens, and she thinks I’m funny. Nobody else really does that.

Miguel H.

I dove into mentoring, thinking that I was going to be the one who would be making a difference. I soon learned that I had opened the door and had a new person in my life who would not only expand my horizons but make me laugh and with whom sharing a weekly lunch is the highlight of my week.

Brenda B.

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What to Expect as a Mentor

Mentors need to complete a background check every new school year and update their mentor registration profile.
New mentors must attend a 90-minute orientation to learn best practices on mentoring adolescent youth and important policies to follow.
Afterwards, APIE introduces mentors to the campus-based mentor coordinator. The coordinator pairs mentors with students and schedules the mentor sessions.
Mentors need to log mentor sessions each week. This encourages reflection, helps mentors prepare for the next session, and provide valuable information for the program.
Mentors have access to support from APIE and the AISD campus they serve. Resources and training opportunities will be provided throughout the school year.

Why Support Mentoring?

Your gift helps us pair more Austin ISD students with caring adults who can become a part of their support network. Research shows that all school-aged children can benefit socially, emotionally, and academically from consistent mentoring relationships.

Participating Campuses

APIE Mentors can volunteer at any participating AISD middle or high school. To learn more about these schools, visit www.austinisd.org/schools.

AISD Elementary Schools

APIE no longer offers the mentor program at AISD elementary campuses. You can find elementary school mentoring opportunities on AISD’s Mentoring Network page here.

AISD Students are Looking for Mentors

Are you interested in providing guidance and support to middle or high school students? If so, consider signing up to be an APIE mentor! There is a high need for mentors at middle and high schools—some campuses even have waiting lists. Just 30 to 45 minutes of your time each week can help put students on the path to succeed in school and beyond. Be who you needed when you were younger!