Mentors and Volunteers

Higher Achievement succeeds because of the dedication of our mentors and other volunteers.

Mentors are volunteers from the community and local businesses who are committed to helping every scholar attain the goal of attending a top academic high school and then college. For the Afterschool Academy, each scholar is teamed with three mentors, one for each core subject. These mentors provide academic guidance and personal support.

Higher Achievement mentors are role models with varied backgrounds. Some grew up in the same communities as the scholars they mentor; others grew up in more affluent communities. Some live in the city; others commute from the suburbs.

Together, the mentors build a rich community that exposes Higher Achievement scholars to new perspectives and many forms of support. Our mentors, in turn, are rewarded with the experience of making a dramatic and clear impact on the lives of young people — and they are connected with a network of hundreds of professionals who are similarly invested in their communities.

Mentoring in Detail

• Each mentor works with a group of two or three middle school students (Higher Achievement scholars).


• The mentor teaches one subject — math, literature, or a seminar course — to the same group of scholars one evening per week.


• Mentors choose their subjects and receive significant support from Higher Achievement, including curricula, extensive orientation, and regular training and coaching.


• The time commitment for mentoring is two hours one evening a week for 25 weeks from September to May (6:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. in DC Metro & Baltimore, 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in Richmond). Many mentors participate for multiple 25-week sessions.

Other Volunteer Opportunities

Other volunteer opportunities include helping scholars with homework and other projects, serving as a guest lecturer, and hosting a student for a job-shadowing day.

Become a Higher Achievement mentor or volunteer.