UC Partnership Seeks Mentors to Help Transform the Lives of Foster Youth

January is National Mentoring month, and recruitment is underway in a unique University of Cincinnati (UC) partnership to build on the educational success of area foster children who are aging out of the foster care system. The Higher Education Mentoring Initiative (HEMI) – a partnership represented by UC’s College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services (CECH), Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Great Oaks Institute of Technology and Career Development, Hamilton County Job and Family Services, and the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners – is recruiting mentors to serve 15 high school students in Hamilton County foster care.

As HEMI approaches its fifth year in helping area foster youth, it calls on individuals in the region to help make a difference. HEMI mentors assist, encourage, and support the academic achievements of foster students through high school and college. For about two hours a week, volunteers can make a positive impact in the lives of area youth as they pursue their education.

“The success rate of the HEMI program is remarkable, largely due to the important role that mentors play in the program for students,” said Lawrence J. Johnson, Dean of CECH. “We appreciate the time and effort that our mentors give and encourage others to consider the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of area youth.”

To be considered for the mentor program, participants start by filling out an application, undergoing a background check, and completing an interview. Individuals are also asked to provide a copy of a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance. Selected mentors will meet their foster students at an event in Sept. 2015, after undergoing a half-day training program. To obtain an application and for more information about becoming a mentor, contact HEMI Staff, at (513) 556-4368, or e-mail HEMImentors@uc.edu.

Since the program’s inception in 2009, HEMI has also raised more than $100,000 to support student scholarships. Last month, the program awarded $65,000 to HEMI students who are pursuing higher education. This year, HEMI’s largest annual fundraiser, Run for the Roses, a Kentucky Derby event, will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2015. The proceeds of this event support scholarships for HEMI students, like Mariah Maxwell, a HEMI student who graduated from UC in April 2013 and beat national odds after spending nearly nine years in the foster care system.

Whether donations are financial contributions or the gift of one’s time as a mentor, supporting HEMI helps students receive long-term academic mentoring and a support network to encourage their pursuit of higher education while emancipating from the foster care system.

The HEMI partnership currently serves 50 students. All students have graduated high school and most are pursuing higher education at various schools, including but not limited to UC, Cincinnati State, Great Oaks, Northwest Missouri State University, Morehead State University, and Pasadena City College. In December, HEMI’s sixth graduate, Antonio Allen, earned his bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences from Johnson State College.