Job-Type: Volunteer (3-6 Hours/Month)

Location: Virtual

Stipend: $1,000

Duration: August 1, 2023 - May 30, 2024

 

 

About Central Valley Scholars: 

 

Central Valley Scholars (CVS) is a community-based organization led by first-generation, queer, Students of Color, with a mission of creating accessible pathways towards higher education for historically impacted communities in the Central Valley. CVS strategy focuses on creating critical, conscious, and realistic perspectives on higher education; with an emphasis on how systemic forms of oppression affect undeserved students' academic trajectories. CVS fosters equity by providing workshops, scholarships, mentorship (themtorship), and specialized programming for students to achieve the education they deserve.

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About The Themtorship Program: 

Central Valley Scholars’ Themtorship Program is a 10-month hybrid program of mostly virtual and two in-person events that assists students in the Central Valley that are interested in pursuing admissions to an undergraduate university. We pair students that are going through the undergraduate application process with Themtors to provide support and guidance. 

 

The development of the Themtorship Program was the product of much reflection, emotional labor, and love that stemmed from a mutual understanding between Central Valley students regarding the obstacles and lack of resources that we face on our journeys to higher education. Through this labor and reflection the Themtorship Program has emerged as a community for students to be met with compassion, patience, and encouragement as they face the difficulty of pursuing higher education as first-generation, undocumented, and Black students from the Central Valley. At the heart of our program is a desire to help students reach their fullest potential and make informed decisions regarding their educational future, with the knowledge that they are worthy and deserving. Through the use of informational webinars, guest speaker presentations, monthly check-ins, continuous resource sharing and themtor support, our students are able to thrive in ways that aren’t fostered through their under-resourced and many times underfunded schools.

Reflecting on the power of language, we made the intentional transition to use themtor in replacement of 'mentor' to show inclusion of trans, nonbinary, genderqueer, and all other marginalized genders. Our organization particularly uses this spelling to separate ourselves from exclusionary 'mentorship' programs. This change demonstrates our ongoing commitment to serving non-male, marginalized genders.

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To learn more about the Themtorship Program, click here. To meet our past themtor cohort, click here. 

 

Themtor Summary:

 

Central Valley Scholars is searching for themtors to serve as foundational support systems for our students’ journeys to an undergraduate university in a safe, encouraging, and supportive space. Themtors should think of themselves as institutional agents, in which they’re individually supporting a student to navigate and complete different facets of the college application process, using their own personal knowledge and resources provided by the program. Ultimately, themtors are serving as the resource they needed while applying to college, and are passionate in ensuring higher education is accessible for future scholars to come. 

 

Themtors will provide support between August 2023 and May 2024 and assist students who will be applying to undergraduate universities starting in the fall, including high school seniors, community college students, and equivalent G.E.D school students. 

 

Key responsibilities of themtors are as follows...

 

Monthly Trainings:

 

• There will be a training and/or gathering at least once a month amongst the entire Themtorship Program. Themtors are required to attend each training, take notes, and engage in the conversation. Trainings will focus the goal/topic of the month, which will provide the themtor with the appropriate information on how to support their Themtee during their one-on-one check-ins. Themtors may also be requested to serve on panels and share their experiences during the trainings.

 

One-On-One Check-Ins:

 

• Themtors will hold monthly one-on-one meetings with their themtees after each cohort training. Themtors will be required to meet with their Themtee at least once a month, with the option of more meetings up the themtors and themtees decision. Monthly guides will be given to themtors and themtees with goals and tasks to complete; however, themtors can can tailor these guides to fit the current needs and requests of their themtee. It will be the themtors responsibility to schedule meetings and share updates with their program lead. One-one-one checks between themtors and program leads as needed/requested.

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In-Person Convenings: 

 

• There will be two in-person gatherings scheduled for December 2023 and May 2024. Themtors are not required to attend in-person days, but are highly encouraged to join. Central Valley Scholars will reimburse travel and hotel costs as needed. 

 

Maintaining Communication:

 

• Themtors will assist themtees on an individual basis (i.e. looking over their college essays, FAFSA applications, building resumes, etc.) and fill gaps in support systems missing in their themtee's home and school. If the themtee needs support outside the scheduled trainings and one-on-one checks, they can reach out their themtor and receive a response within a 24 hour “work day”. This entails reaching out your themtee and answering your themtees questions/requests over text, email, and/or phone. Themtors may also be requested to hold themtor-wide group trainings or individual check-ins as requested by the Themtorship Leads.
• Themtors will also be required to complete background checks before being paired with a Themtee. 

 

Preferred Qualifications: 

 

• Prior experience or interest in student themtoring (mentoring), counseling, higher education accessibility 

• Strong communication skills and ability to maintain continued support and engagement with themtee

• Must be comfortable with Zoom, Google Workspace (Drive, Slides, Spreadsheet etc), and other online program websites such as Trello

• Commitment to fostering safe online spaces for all historically underserved students including, and not limited to, LGBTQIA+ students, women and non-men students, first-generation students, undocumented students, students with disabilities, justice impacted students, student parents, and BIPoC students  

• Has a thorough understanding of  Central Valley issues and the historically underserved communities that Central Valley Scholars serves

Minimum Requirements:

 

• Must have completed an undergraduate degree OR must be an undergraduate student by August 2023 

• Must be knowledgeable and have experience with completing different college applications including University of California (UC) application, Financial Aid and Dream Act application, California State University (CSU) application, Common application, etc. 

• Must identify with one, or more, of the following: first-generation college student, undocumented person, and/or Black person 

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You do not need to be from the Central Valley to apply; however, priority will be given to those that originate from or currently reside in the San Joaquin Valley.

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Stipend:

Themtors will receive a one-time nominal stipend of $1000. It is important to note that themtors are volunteers, not employees, of the Central Valley Scholars, therefore no benefits will be provided. 

Apply Now:

Please complete this online application by June 12, 2023 at 11:59 pm. You can save your application and continue later, however you cannot edit it after submission. For questions or accommodations please email contact@centralvalleyscholars.org.