ECC Transition Academy in need of mentors for 2017-2018 academic year

Elgin Community College is seeking mentors for its Transition Academy, a college readiness program for high school students in Community College District 509.

The Transition Academy empowers ninth- through 12th-graders to prepare for college, solve problems more effectively and make positive academic and life choices through mutually respective relationships between students and mentors.

Volunteer mentors, who meet one Saturday a month at the college's 1700 Spartan Drive campus in Elgin, are needed to support and build a positive relationship with high school students for the 2017-2018 academic year. Mentors are asked to commit to attending monthly 90-minute sessions with mentees. Sessions will take place on the first Saturday of every month, through April, during which mentors will provide advice, assistance and guidance to help students maximize their potential.

"The mentors of the Transition Academy are one of the most important aspects of our program," said Libby Roeger, dean of developmental education and college transitions.

"Each mentor has the opportunity to act as a sounding board for our students and to offer support to our students as they navigate through high school and into college. The caring relationships that our mentors provide to our students helps gives them the additional support needed to take learning risks necessary for academic success."

Each volunteer mentor will be required to attend the training session and meet eligibility screening requirements. The next Transition Academy orientation takes place on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in ECC's Building B, Jobe Lounge.

For more information on the ECC Transition Academy or the mentor application process, contact Cathy Schaff at (847) 214-7909 or cschaff@elgin.edu.