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A2MEND has provided mentorship opportunities for African American males enrolled in the California Community College system since the organization’s official incorporation in 2007. Over this time period hundreds of students have been a part of our mentoring program and have benefited from the opportunity of having a caring mentor and engaged professional who has helped and guided them at the critical junctures in their academic journey.
A2MEND and the students that we serve know first-hand that mentorship matters. While A2MEND has been pleased by the impact of its mentorship program, we have remained concerned about the thousands of African American men enrolled in our colleges who have not been able to benefit from a mentor simply because our organization has lacked the capacity to provide this service at that type of scale.
To address this concern A2MEND has partnered with www.mentorandmatch.com to provide the technology necessary for A2MEND to scale its mentorship program. With this technology infrastructure A2MEND has expanded its mentorship program and has set a goal to provide a mentor to every African American man enrolled in the California Community College system. Students will be matched with a mentor who works in our system based on similar educational and career interests. In addition, A2MEND will provide both mentor and mentee training that ensures that the students and professionals receives maximum benefit for being a part of this game changing initiative.
Aligned with the California Community College’s state chancellor’s office “Vision for Success” and the subsequent “Call to Action” in response to institutional racism that was brought prominently into focus by the killing of Mr. George Floyd, the A2MEND Statewide African American Men Mentorship Initiative is designed with the following outcomes in mind:
- Improve educational outcomes (i.e. persistence, graduation and transfer rates) Close and eliminate opportunity gaps
- Create a greater sense of campus connection and belonging
- Develop a greater understanding of career and academic options
- Increase knowledge on how to navigate their academic journey
- Provide additional academic and social support