51³ÉÈËÁÔÆæ

Course Description

Summary

In this course college student mentors will work with high school student mentees to develop college aspirations and contribute to mentees’ knowledge about the college application process. Each week college students will meet with the instructor for the first two hour block on the 51³ÉÈËÁÔÆæ campus in which we will discuss literature about mentoring and college access, as well as the plan for meeting with the high school students that week. The second half of the course will take place on the Mount Anthony Union High School campus, during which time college student mentors will meet with their high school student mentees. Mentors will share their college access stories with their mentees and invite their mentees to discuss their own aspirations in shared storytelling sessions. Other possible topics we will cover with the high school student mentees include the college application process, including searching for colleges and writing a personal statement, as well as the process of applying for financial aid. High school student mentees will spend a day shadowing their college student mentors during a visit to campus. In this course, which is supported by a grant from the Vermont Community Foundation, Bennington students will put a personal face on the often mystifying college application process and will develop mentoring and leadership skills as they do so.