Mentoring program aims to help first-year college students, encourage retention

First-year college students will have mentoring help thanks to a partnership between the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative (CYC) and local schools and organizations.

Set to launch this spring, the initiative is intended to help college students during their first year and encourage college retention. It’s starting with 40 mentors and a goal of expanding to reach hundreds of inexperienced students who face the difficulty during their first year of college.

“It’s becoming a national dialogue that about one-third of college freshman are dropping out,” says Kate Elliot, CYC communications and marketing specialist. “This is the kind of program the community needs right now.”

Many students don’t have the mental and emotional support they need in the transition from high school to college, as the culture can be very different. The mentoring program will allow students to have a longtime partner who will support them through that transition and during their first year.

The program is a collaborative effort between CYC, Cincinnati Public Schools, University of Cincinnati, The Business of Good Foundation, Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation and Accenture.

While there will be traditional face-to-face meetings, the program will have an online platform where mentors can tutor and share advice online, whether it be school-related or about financial or personal issues.

“This support will help students feel like they have a handle on college,” Elliot says. “We want to make sure someone is in their court so they get the most they can out of their college experience. They won’t do that if they don’t feel supported.”

Do Good:

• If you’re interested in becoming a mentor, contact Cincinnati Youth Collaborative.

• Learn more about the College Mentoring Initiative.

• Donate to help support CYC’s mission.