Mentors

Becoming a Campus Connections mentor is a unique and challenging opportunity; it is also a time commitment. Mentors should understand their responsibilities and be fully committed to Campus Connections in order for the program to be a success for both UCCS students and community youth.

Campus Connections mentors are expected to:

• Attend Campus Connections every week throughout the semester. This includes being on time and staying the entire time from pre-lab to post-lab.
• Uphold core values and ethics of the Campus Connections Program.
• Have an open mind and respectful attitude toward diverse viewpoints, perspectives, and experiences, including those that may be different from their own.
• Be active and engaged with youth as well as provide support and encouragement.

Pre-Lab

Pre-lab is a time for mentors to meet with their course instructors, Mentor Coaches, and fellow mentors to discuss the upcoming evening and practice skills. During this time, weekly readings are integrated into preparation for the night to come. 

Walk & Talk

Walk & Talk is a half hour walk. Mentor families or groups of mentor-mentee pairs "tour the campus" on walks to different buildings across campus. This is a time for mentors to build relationships with their mentees as well as for mentees to get outside, get moving, and explore everything that a college campus has to offer.

Supporting School Success

Supporting School Success is one-on-one time that youth spend with their mentor to focus on academics/career-planning. During this time mentees can work on anything from homework, study skills, and time management skills to building their résumés. Other specialized academic and professional skill building activities are sometimes offered.

Dinner

A nutritious, family-style dinner is provided either through partnerships with local food banks or in the campus Dining Hall. Youth meals are covered by the program and mentors either purchase their meal or bring their own.

Pro-Social Activities

Each week our mentors take turns leading and participating in different activities designed for the youth. These activities are intentionally created to be pro-social and encourage positive recreation and interactions between everyone involved.

Activities change weekly and include a variety of interactive games, cultural activities, arts and crafts, and more.

Post-Lab

Post-Lab is a time for mentors to meet with their course instructor, Graduate Assistants, Mentor Coach, and fellow mentors to debrief about the evening. This is an open forum to discuss success stories as well as possible concerns from the night and receive support from instructors and peers.

Campus Connections is a service-learning/fieldwork course (COUN4955). Any interested undergraduate students can apply. This course has been approved for the Summit requirements of the Compass Curriculum.

Mentors can expect to earn 3-credits for their participation in the program and should plan to attend a weekly lab session from 3:00pm-9:00pm. Youth mentees participate from 4:00pm-8:00pm, arriving an hour after and leaving an hour before mentors, mentor coaches, and instructors. This allows time for mentors to prepare for and wrap up the evening.

With Campus Connections, you will:

• Build connections
• Earn credit
• Become a role model
• Provide academic and emotional support
• Engage in pro-social activities
• Try new challenges with your mentee

Applications are also open to some graduate-level students. Contact the program staff for more information (cconnect@uccs.edu). There are no course pre-requisites for Campus Connections, however, in order to become a mentor, students must:

• Commit to attending each week of Campus Connections throughout the entire semester
• Uphold the values and ethics of Campus Connections
• Attend one of the Mandatory Informational Meetings (see schedule), or schedule a time to meet individually with a Campus Connections staff member
• Fill out a Mentor Application and be accepted into the program
• Successfully complete a background check and finger printing (details on this are included in the application packet)

To Apply

1. Watch this Information Session on YouTube!
2. Fill out the Mentor Application!
3. Save and send it to cconnect@uccs.edu OR scan it by downloading a free app on your phone called Genius Scan.
4. You may also drop off your application in the basket outside of Columbine 3010!

Application Deadlines

*Interested in being a mentor but not sure if you can still apply? It may still be possible to apply for the upcoming semester even if the deadline has passed. Contact Campus Connections staff for more information- cconnect@uccs.edu. 

Being a successful mentor requires the right tools. To prepare you for your journey as a mentor, Campus Connections provides you with an orientation and training for the first three weeks of the course.

As a Campus Connections mentor you will:

• Learn what it means to be a mentor and how to support others through mentoring
• Gain valuable skills and experience
• Build strong and supportive interpersonal relationships to foster growth
• Build and practice leadership skills
• Make strong connections with surrounding communities and other UCCS students
• Learn more about youth systems including the juvenile justice system and school systems

Mentor Families

In order to create a supportive environment for student mentors and mentees, mentor and mentee pairs will be part of larger Mentor Families. Mentor Families consist of youth in similar developmental stages, their mentors, and a mentor coach. Mentor Families typically consist of four to five mentor-mentee pairs and a Mentor Coach.

Mentor Coaches are advanced mentors who provide additional support and guidance to mentors within their Mentor Family. This allows youth to positively interact with their peers while benefiting from their primary mentor, and their Mentor Coach. By creating a “Family Style” environment for certain activities, youth routinely have access to the same set of caring individuals each week and can begin to form stronger connections.

Mentor Coaches (MCs) are mentors who have previously completed at least one semester of Campus Connections or have sufficient previous experience with the populations we serve, and are responsible for providing support to mentors throughout the program. MCs additionally provide support to youth mentees within their Mentor Family.

MCs are also involved with mentor training and orientation for the first three weeks of the course and are expected to be present from 3:00-9:00pm with their mentors.

If you are interested in becoming a Mentor Coach and have questions, please contact cconnect@uccs.edu for more information.