MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The number of students who attend college after graduating high school has taken a nine percent drop since the start of the pandemic in 2019, but tnAchieves' reformed mentoring program may provide a little guidance to students planning for college.
The organization works with 98% of all students who apply for the TN Promise scholarship, as well as 90% of Tennessee's graduating students each year.
tnAchieves said that it will introduce a reimagined mentoring program in 2023 that will use virtual tools, which the organization believes will have a greater, longer-lasting impact on students who wish to go to college.
“We are incredibly excited to be announcing these updates to the mentoring program,” said tnAchieves Senior Director of Mentors Tyler Ford. “By providing our volunteers with earlier access to their students and facilitating an in-person meeting opportunity, we believe tnAchieves mentors will play a significant role in reversing some of the downward trends we have seen through the pandemic.”
As the world continues to readjust to normalcy after the pandemic, tnAchieves said in-person meetings with students will also be reintroduced.
The first in-person meeting for mentors and students since the pandemic will be scheduled between December or January, tnAchieves said.
tnAchieves also said that students will be able to connect with mentors in November, which gives than earlier access to guidance than they have had in the past years.
According to tnAchjieves, earlier access to mentors will be used to solidify college-going plans for students.
tnAchieves is now accepting mentors, allowing people who are interested in mentoring to apply online.