Volunteer & Mentor
“I have been a volunteer mentor for Wayfinders for 20 years. It is personally meaningful and rewarding in an almost indescribable way. As a mentor, you help change the world by changing one person’s life.”
–Holly Levinson, Wayfinders Mentor
Wayfinders has numerous opportunities for passionate and dedicated volunteers to offer their services to the organization and our scholars.
Long-term mentoring is the most impactful volunteer commitment that Wayfinders offers. Mentors commit to providing year-round support to a scholar for at least 5 years, with the majority staying paired through high school graduation and beyond. Because of the genuine bonds they form through our program, many mentors and scholars stay in touch for life.
Research by Harvard economist Dr. Raj Chetty identifies social capital as the #1 driver of economic mobility, especially when built through genuine, cross-economic relationships like those built between Wayfinders scholars and their mentors.
The number of mentors we can recruit determines the number of scholars we can serve, and investing in mentor support is an investment in Wayfinders’ sustainability. We ensure that volunteers view mentorship and social capital not as a ladder, but as a bridge-builder, connecting two individuals across differences in socio-economic backgrounds and fostering genuine empathy and understanding. While we are focused on increasing the number of mentors, we seek volunteers who are informed, committed, and truly passionate about this work.
Mentoring
A key component of the Wayfinders experience is one-on-one mentoring. Wayfinders pairs each new 4th grade scholar with an adult mentor who provides year-round support and encouragement to the scholar, assists with outfitting the scholar for camp, and, if able, drives the scholar (and possibly other scholars) to and/or from camp if needed.
Wayfinders mentors collectively volunteer more than 4,000 hours per year and commit to a minimum of 5 years as mentors. More information is available by clicking the Wayfinders Mentor Commitment button below.
If you have any questions, please send them to Wayfinders’ Mentor Coordinator, Lisa Stewart, [email protected].
Thank you for your interest in mentoring!
Volunteering
If you are not able to make a commitment to be a Wayfinders mentor, please consider joining us as a volunteer!
Volunteers help with scholar transportation to and from camp and/or enrichment opportunities throughout the school year. Volunteers also serve by writing letters to scholars while at camp, writing birthday cards to scholars, and assisting with office administration.
Volunteer & Mentor Background Checks
All volunteers and mentors must pass a mandatory volunteer clearance/background check which is administered through Unique Background Solutions.
If you have any questions, please send them to Emely Reyes, [email protected].
