VIRTUAL MENTORS WANTED: Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP)

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Must reside in Denver or surrounding areas.

The Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program (RAMP) TMis a high-tech, career-focused mentoring program for youth involved with or at risk of becoming involved with the juvenile justice system. Funded by two grants from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and led by the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), RAMP TMis being implemented across the country by state and local organizations with expertise in mentoring, youth development, juvenile justice, and disability. The RAMP TMmodel uses a combination of group, peer, and one-on-one mentoring to promote the successful transition of RAMP TMyouth to employment, continued learning opportunities, and independent living.

Youth participate in weekly career preparation-focused group meetings, including peer-supported goal setting and exploration of careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Each youth meets regularly one-on-one with a mentor to develop and implement an Individualized Mentoring Plan (IMP). Mentors are caring adults recruited from the community, schools, employers, and partner organizations. Youths’ families, teachers, and support network are engaged in career fairs, college visits, and extended learning activities. At the end of the program, each group of youth works with an industry advisor to complete a high-tech project. While in RAMP TM, youth have the opportunity to assess and explore their own career interests; develop a plan and set goals for their transition; create a resource map of their community’s high-tech industries; gain workplace soft skills; build resume-writing and interviewing skills; interact with employers and experience a variety of work settings; give and receive peer support; take advantage of group and personal leadership opportunities; design and build a high-tech-related team project, and most importantly... have fun!

Mentors attend weekly RAMP sessions to work with youth in both group and one-on-one activities. Typical sessions are 1-1.5 hours in length, during or afterschool, at participating high schools.