Straight answers, no brochure voice.

Any adult who can hold one weeknight through a school year and pass a background check. We match people in their twenties and people in their seventies. You do not need a degree, a car, or a background that looks like our students’.

One program night a week from September through June, plus a text or a call in between. Some pairs add a game or a Saturday on their own; that is a bonus, not the expectation.

Nothing. Every program here is free, there is no fundraising quota, and we do not ask families for income paperwork to get in.

Every volunteer clears a background check and reference calls before meeting a student. Pairs meet in our building with staff present, and off-site outings need written parental permission and staff sign-off.

Yes. Mentoring is not remediation. Plenty of our students have solid grades and simply do not have an adult outside the family who is invested in what happens next.

We remake it. Pairs check in with the program director monthly at first, and either person can say it is not working without hard feelings. A quiet bad match helps nobody.

Yes, in the homework lab or on event crew. Mentoring is the one role where we ask for the season, because inconsistency there does more harm than good.

Closely. Counselors at neighborhood high schools refer students, and with a family’s permission we share progress notes back the other way.

Individual donors, a handful of local employers, and grants. If you want to know how a specific gift is used, call the office and the executive director will walk you through it.

The organization is a registered nonprofit, and donations may be tax-deductible where allowed by law. Ask your tax advisor about your own situation and we will send whatever documentation you need.