FACILITATING MENTORING: “SMART” (STUDENT MENTOR AND RESOURCE TRAINING)
SMART (Student Mentoring and Resource Training) is a part of PSUSD’s commitment to increasing college access to all students. One way to do that is to offer comprehensive learning-support programs to help struggling students navigate the college-application process. Applying to college may be the most daunting task of adolescence. Add inequity, income disparity, cultural and learning differences to the mix and merely daunting can become overwhelming. Students who are the first to graduate and/or the first to attend college in their families routinely struggle in a world of stellar SAT scores, high-powered extracurricular resumés, and heart-warming tales of selfless community service. Pressure can infuse the college-selection process with escalating anxiety and doubt. This is the context in which our mentors can be helpful.
SMART is an innovative intergenerational experience and adaptation of adult mentors matched with high school juniors and seniors to navigate the university and college application process. Our mentors help create new pathways to success for students, while helping them identify and navigate financial aid, the application process, and the skills that are most needed in today’s demanding online environment.
