Roundtable for After-School Mentoring Partnerships (RAMP Up)

	Interested in becoming a mentor? Please fill out and email us the application below and we will contact you to schedule an interview. RAMP Up Application (36 KB) Need more info? Contact RAMP UP at (646) 943-8779.

By sharing time, knowledge, and experience with a young person, a mentor can powerfully affect how that child imagines his or her future. A mentor can boost the outlook and the confidence of a young person on the cusp of adolescence.

RAMP Up (Roundtable for After-School Mentoring Partnerships) seeks volunteers, including high school students, college students and professionals, to serve as mentors to kids in four elementary and middle schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan. In these school communities, many students are reading well below their grade level and struggling to succeed; only about one in 20 will graduate from college. With an investment of as little as four hours a month, volunteer mentors -- especially those familiar with these communities -- can show kids the way to achieve their dreams, regardless of the obstacles in their path.

How RAMP Up works

Mentors are asked to volunteer for at least one year, and to commit to meeting with their mentee for at least four hours per month.  Meetings take place at the child’s school, during after-school hours.  Each year, RAMP Up mentors and mentees also participate in two cultural field trips and one community service project.  RAMP Up staff arrange matches and support mentors as they plan and execute activities.

RAMP Up Mentors

Mentors are trustworthy high school or college students or adults who are motivated to support and guide a young person.  RAMP Up mentors must pass through a screening process that includes a background check, a personal interview, reference checks and a pre-training. 

RAMP Up Mentees

RAMP Up mentees are 4th through 8th grade students at four New York City public schools. Their needs and situations are diverse, but most are referred by teachers, counselors, or after-school staff who believe they can benefit from these relationships.

How do I know this is a safe, quality program?

RAMP Up staff has been trained to manage mentoring relationships and receives ongoing technical assistance from Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York, the Mentoring Partnerships of New York, and TASC.   RAMP Up is approved and funded by the U.S. Department of Education and follows guidelines for effective practice created by the Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools.