NOW HIRING MENTORS

Do you have a passion for education? Is community engagement important to you? Would you like to make a difference in a child's life by helping them learn to read? If yes, then consider making a difference by applying to the New Mexico Tech Literacy Mentorship Program!

Since 2016, New Mexico Tech has partnered with Mentoring Kids Works New Mexico and the Socorro Consolidated School District in an effort to boosts literacy among elementary school students. We are now hiring dedicated students to mentor third graders at Parkview Elementary School. Apply using the link: https://forms.gle/w1budPpLqnuD4zh58 

What Is the MATCH Program?

The MATCH Program was founded in 2016 with a formal partnership between the Socorro Consolidated School District (SCSD), New Mexico Tech (NMT), and MATCH New Mexico (rebranded as Mentoring Kids Works New Mexico, MKWNM). All three organizations contributed significant and unique resources to establish a program where NMT students are hired (mostly through Federal Work Study) to mentor Parkview third graders to improve reading literacy. NMT mentors meet with their mentees afterschool for 2 hours twice weekly for most of the school year. This program has resulted in significant growth in reading proficiencies for mentored students, and several NMT mentors have chosen to become teachers.

Increases in student achievement as a result of this program can be seen in the graph to the right. The graph shows reading proficiencies for all third graders in SCSD (red) and Parkview third graders (blue) for the end of academic years 2015-2018 as reported in the District Report Cards issued by the New Mexico Public Education Department. Note the increase from 7% to 37% in Parkview reading proficiency after one year of the mentoring program (school year ended in 2017). While we cannot isolate the impact of the mentoring program compared to other factors, it is likely that the mentoring program significantly contributed to this growth, which was maintained the following year. The NMPED discontinued district report cards after 2018, so we can no longer use this metric for measuring outcomes.

Becoming a Mentor

Commitment

The Literacy Mentorship program requires a 5-10 hour weekly commitment from hired students. Students are expected to participate in after-school programs at Parkview Elementary two days per week, either on a Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday schedule. Additional opportunities to mentor are available. Pay is $12/hour.

Eligibility

All New Mexico Tech students who are in good standing are eligible for employment. Applicants must be able to pass a background check.

Most positions are supported through the Federal Work Study program. If you have not already filled out the FAFSA, please do so.

Mentor Training

Mentors enroll in Mentoring and Leadership, a weekly seminar that provides valuable mentor training (meets on Friday afternoons). Additional support is provided during individual monthly meetings with the Mentor Coordinator. 

Additional Information

• We are collecting applications now through the end of January.
• Mentoring will take place at Parkview Elementary, and will begin Jan. 17, 2023.

If you have any additional questions, please contact Theresa Apodaca (theresa.apodaca@nmt.edu)