WHY CLASSROOM MENTORS MATTER

We aim to increase the graduation rate in Oakland.

Oakland Serves places volunteer mentors directly in high school classrooms to help students succeed. In-class support reaches students that don't know to ask for help. 

We work specifically with students most at risk at falling behind.  We provide the academic support they need to stay on track to graduation.

Students drop out mainly because they lose confidence in their ability to ever progress to graduation. Success in classwork and in comprehension is key to breaking the cycle of failure.

Don't let the door shut on these students! ​

JOIN US TODAY!

What People are Saying about Us

Mentor Testimonials

"It was a wonderful experience for me being a mentor through Oakland Serves!

 I got to know and support one student who was sincerely doing his best to succeed, and I got to see his skills, awareness, and thoughtfulness grow through his interactions with his teachers and with me. Getting to know him personally and share what I had to offer was a great gift for me."

"Students were able to finish their assignments and keep up with the cadence of the class because of my help."

"I helped two [students] complete their assignments and got fist bumps and a 'Thank you' from each."

"Being there was helpful in letting [the teacher] more effectively manage the rest of the class while I was able to  give the students with accommodations more individual attention by being a lot more free to answer their  questions."
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"Gaining more trust from the students made it hard to say goodbye on the last day! I wish I could work with them more."

Teacher perspectives

"Your pool of mentors, from my perspective, was great"

"She was awesome and very intuitive when it came to what she needed to be doing and where, and how to respond to different moments in class time to be the most effective."

"He is amazing. He is great any teacher would be lucky to be able to work with him.  I would love to be able to continue to work with him."

"Keep the mentors coming!"

"He is such an amazing mentor and a wonderful asset to my classroom community. He knows how to make math feel fun and approachable and really connects to all of my students."

"We love having her as part of our school community!"

"My students and I are grateful to all the mentors at Oakland Serves"

What school leaders and counselors are saying

"I appreciated that mentors were able to be present more. That allowed students to get used to seeing them frequently in their classrooms. This year students seemed really eager to get help."

"We are so grateful to our mentors because they help our students increase their productivity and positively affect their way of being in the classroom. They also help students see things in different ways in 1:1 tutoring and help them focus on their work more with their presence.  They are truly an invaluable resource. "

"I appreciate how Oakland Serves vets mentors and provides them some training before getting into the classroom."

"It has been a pleasure to partner with Oakland Serves for a second year. The common value Oakland High and Oakland Serves [share] is the importance of caring and supportive relationships. Oakland Serve has provided a group of mentors to consistently connect with our students, meet them where they are at, and provide a journey to support students socially, emotionally, and academically."