Dear Future icouldbe.org Mentor,

Thank you for your interest in icouldbe.org and in becoming a mentor to young people who need your help and support!

There are a few things that you should know before you begin our registration process.

At the last stage of registration you will be asked to make a $5 donation to help cover a small portion of the cost of your background check. You must have a credit card to make this donation. This also provides final proof of identity of each mentor.

1. Our mission is to serve students who are disadvantaged at public schools that are under-resourced. The majority of our mentees attend overcrowded schools that lack sufficient capital and human resources to provide essential college and career guidance services. These students live in low-income communities; they are from the demographic most likely to drop out of school. They need support and guidance as they try to find their way in life. But, it takes time to gather momentum in your communications and to gain their trust. You may find it discouraging that your mentee does not write to you as often as you hoped or about substantive matters. You will be challenged, as an online mentor, to remain both patient and active. Connecting to some of the most difficult students in the educational system requires persistence and is sometimes is not easy. If you are expecting to have an instantly gratifying emotional connection, carefully consider whether or not you would like to proceed with this registration.
2. To ensure the safety of the kids and adults on icouldbe.org, no identifying personal information is exchanged between mentors and mentees in our program. Members of our community do not know each other s last names, places of work, home addresses, myspace identities, chat accounts, gaming identities or anything else that would connect them outside of our community. You will never meet your mentees in person.
3. Mentees often have more than one year-long mentor, so your relationship with the student will not be exclusive. Different volunteer mentors emphasize different things and have different advice. It is important to model cooperative, adult behavior in front of the students.
4. We will run a criminal and sex offender background check on everyone who applies to be an online mentor. As per the rules of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), please click here (opens in a new window) for a copy of "A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act." This document provides detailed explanation of steps to take if you feel your application was erroneously denied.
5. Before mentors are approved, we need written verification from each mentor’s current place of employment (or study) in order to ensure that we know the true identity and profession of every mentor.
6. At the last stage of registration you will be asked to make a $5 donation to help cover a small portion of the cost of your background check. You must have a credit card to make this donation. This also provides final proof of identity of each mentor.
7. You must be at least twenty-one years old or be a currently enrolled college student to be approved as a mentor.

It is our aspiration to connect an ever-growing number of teenagers to caring adults who can help them through the transition from high school to college and the world of work. The first part of the registration process will take roughly twenty minutes. Then it may take a few weeks for us to receive your employer verification and process your background checks.

Beneath this letter you will find a link to continue with the registration process.

We hope you will join us to share your experience and expertise with hard working students from around the country. Thanks so much for you interest and feel free to contact us with any questions or suggestions.

Sincerely,

Kate Schrauth
Executive Director
www.icouldbe.org
kate@icouldbe.org

I understand that at the last stage of registration I will be asked to make a $5 donation to help cover a small portion of the cost of my background check. I agree to make this donation and wish to continue the registration process.


Please click here ONLY if you agree!