Perhaps you’ve heard of the Tennessee Promise, where eligible high school students have a chance to receive an award at an eligible postsecondary institution toward tuition and mandatory fees. But, did you know that these students need mentors to keep them on track to attain this goal?

tnAchieves is the partnering organization to the TN Promise Scholarship in 84 of the 95 counties in Tennessee. Its mission is to increase higher education opportunities for Tennessee high school students by providing last-dollar scholarships with mentor guidance.

Mentor positions are filled by volunteers. In Jackson-Madison County, a total of 141 mentors are needed for high school seniors. Time requirements to be a mentor include one hour or less per month to help high school seniors transiton to post-secondary opportunities next year. Mentors receive training, attend two required meetings and send deadline reminders to the students, along with answering any questions they may have by text or email.

“tnAchieves is a great avenue for becoming a mentor for today’s youth,” says Vicki Bunch, manager of workforce development, Jackson Chamber. “Currently, Madison County has reached 55% of its goal, but still needs 63 mentors. I can’t think of a better way to make a difference in our community than to positively influence our young people.”

Deadline to apply as a mentor is December 1, 2017.

For more information and to apply, click here for the TNAchieves application.