April 2021!
The Mentor Resource Hub (MRH)
Tap into our Mentor Resource Hub (MRH) where you will find our program's extensive collection of Mentor resources, including:
COVID-19 Resources for Scholars; Mentor Program Calendar; Mentor Staff and Lead Contact Info; and Scholar Internship, Job, & Scholarship Opportunities
Use the password: mentors4OP to login.
OP Against AAPI Hate
We are heartbroken by the news of the recent attacks on our Asian and Pacific Islander community. Since the start of the pandemic, we have seen a rise in discrimination against our AAPI community nationwide, including in Oakland. At Oakland Promise, we stand against these acts of evil and all AAPI hate. We as a community must come together to support and protect this community. See below to learn more about our AAPI community and how you can support in the fight against AAPI hate.
April Theme:
Reflections and Gratitude
Last month marked 1-year since the CDC declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, leading to a global lockdown that would impact us in ways we could have never imagined. The year to follow would be filled with an array of emotions: immense uncertainty of what is to come, gratitude for what remains, loss, hope, personal and national grieving amidst the numerous tragedies and racial reckonings, as well as collective empowerment and coalition-building.
There was no rule-book for how to deal with our realities over the past year or that of our Scholars. Through the uncertainty, our OP Mentors swiftly adapted to our new virtual programming and showed up to support our students, even while in the midst of personal hardships. Through the Facetime check-ins, virtual Fall Mentor Team Meetings, OP Facebook Group & Google Group posts, 2020 Winter Career Conference, and ongoing Mentor Huddles & OP Career Panels, it's clear that our resilient and resourceful OP Scholars couldn't find a more resilient community of OP Mentors to lean on.
OP Mentors - Thank you. We see you and all the ways you have and continue to show up in support of our students and program. But more importantly, we recognize and are grateful for who you are as individuals and all that you have overcome this year. Please remember that the Mentor Team is here to support you in any way that we can. This year has shown us that we must have grace and compassion for one another, and that together we can do anything. See the resource below for mental health tips for teachers (educators or Mentors) as you continue to support your student during these times.
General Announcements:
AB288: Protect Student's Aid
In recognition of their significant impact on our Scholars, our organization is increasing its focus on legislative and policy-centered outcomes. To this end, Oakland Promise formally endorses State Assembly Bill 288, also known as the California Ban on Scholarship Displacement Act of 2021. If passed, any higher education institution that receives state-funded assistance or that enrolls students who receive state-funded assistance would be barred from responding to a student’s having received a private Scholarship by reducing their need-based financial aid award. We are also partnering with the National College Attainment Network (NCAN) who advocates for significantly strengthening the Federal Pell Grant Program. This can be done through measures including, but not limited to, doubling the maximum award, recalculating Pell eligibility, and indexing the Program to inflation. If you, or someone you know is interested in working with Oakland Promise to help achieve legislative aims that better serve our Scholars, let us know by emailing mentors@oaklandpromise.org.
OP-Hosted Career Panels
Two down, one to go! A reminder that the last of the season's three OP-hosted Career Panels will be held on Thursday, April 22nd. This panel will center around work in the Arts, Media, and Entertainment. Special thanks to OP Mentors Allyson Purcell, York Prado, and Veronica Rios Reddick, all of whom have actively participated in a panel or helped by referring us to panelists for our previous two panels about careers in Medicine and Law, respectively. Can we make it three for three? If you or someone you know would be a great fit for the upcoming panel, be sure to let us know via this form by April 8th. If your Scholar is interested in the Arts, Media, Entertainment, or a related field, be sure to encourage them to attend!
Annual Survey Update
A big thank you to everyone who completed our Annual Survey! We look forward to diving deeper into your responses as they will help us to improve and refine our Program Curriculum, Resources, Communication, and more. We look forward to following up with some of you directly for in-depth interviews to gain more insight about your responses. We will share a summary of the findings and our programmatic responses with the entire Mentor Community.
If we believe that you are eligible to Mentor an incoming 2021 Oakland Promise Scholar, your email with the Annual Survey should have included a survey enabling you to opt into mentoring an incoming 2021 Oakland Promise Scholar. If you are interested in doing so, but did not receive the form, please email mentors@oaklandpromise.org.
Mentor Recruitment
One month left to continue recruiting Mentors! Back in September, we launched our Mentor Recruitment efforts with a goal of being able to provide Mentors to 330 Oakland Promise Scholars. Currently, between new applicants and those of you who have opted into Mentoring one of our incoming Scholars, we are projected to be able to provide Mentors to 300 Scholars. We are excited to be more than 90% there, but there is still work to do!
You can refer your friends and colleagues as Mentors via the form below. Special thanks to the 15 of you who helped out by referring us to Mentors. And a shoutout to the UCSC, NorCal, UC Berkeley, Cal State East Bay and Private/East Mentor Teams who have separated from the pack as being the Teams proportionally responsible for referring program applicants and prospects.
Monthly Mentor Huddles
Thanks to everyone who was able to attend our Reconnecting and Resetting Mentor Huddles in January and February. As we look ahead, we invite you to join us for our next Mentor Huddles in April and May. We encourage you to take the opportunity to connect and share with other Mentors. Our next Mentor Huddle will be on April 22nd at 12PM and will be centered on Community College Resources. Our OP Advisors for the Community Colleges will be at the meeting, and Mentors will have the opportunity to submit any question they have for our Advisors using the form below. More details to come via email soon!
The following Mentor Huddle will be on May 20th at 12PM and the theme will be A Year In Review: What’s Next?. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Mentor Huddles!
April Monthly Mentor Survey Opens 4/7!
The April Monthly Survey will be sent to you on the 7th. Through the survey, you will have a chance to share any information about your interactions with your Scholar throughout the previous month (March). The survey is a great opportunity to let us know what is working in your Mentor-Scholar relationship, and what additional supports OP can provide you with.
The survey will remain open through April 14th!
Mentors of 2020 Scholars can also request support via their Activity follow-up surveys.
Reminders for your Scholars
Spring 2021 Scholar Doc Update
As an update, the Spring 2021 Scholar Doc deadline was on 3/31. Students should complete their online Scholarship Acceptance Form by 4/9. Scholars have already been made aware of this deadline, but we encourage you to remind your Scholar! Students can expect checks to be distributed between 4/26-4/30.
Finding Community on Campus Panel
Is your student feeling disconnected from their campus? With universities considering returning in-person this Fall, finding community will be redefined in the age of COVID-19. This can generate feelings of lack of belonging and stress, but your student is not alone!
Students and Mentors have the opportunity to gain insight and tips from a panel of Oakland Promise Alumni on how to navigate college campuses and how to form meaningful connections on campus! Please join us with your student for this important event on Thursday April 22, 2021 from 5-6pm. RSVP link below!
Supporting our Entrepreneur Scholars
We have so many amazing OP Scholars who are entrepreneurs that have been working hard this year. At OP, we want to showcase all of the incredible work that they do!
If your Scholar (or their family) has a small business, they can apply to have their business featured on the @oaklandpromisescholars Instagram page! We want to show their business some love and advertise it to the greater Oakland community. Encourage your Scholar to apply today!
Wind River Summer Internships
Wind River is still hiring! The Alameda-based software company has 18 summer internship spots across a number of fields, and wants to fill them all with Oakland Promise Scholars! The opportunities are open to students at 4-year universities with a projected graduation year of '22 or '23. If that's your Scholar, encourage them to apply! The jobs are in computer science, sales, marketing, human resources, and customer service. Make sure your Scholar is aware of this exciting opportunity! If your Scholar has any questions, they should email jeremy@oaklandpromise.org.
Afro-Latinx Líderes Avanzando Fellowship
The UnidosUS Afro-Latinx Líderes Avanzando Fellowship is a one-year leadership program geared at college juniors and seniors who identify as Afro-Latinx and are passionate about racial equity and driving meaningful change in their campus community and beyond
Applications are due June 4, 2021. Please encourage your student to apply and contact Washington Navarrete at wnavarrete@unidosus.org for more information.
OP Black Excellence Grant
In partnership with Harlem Children's Zone, the Oakland Promise has launched our Black Excellence Grant, to support Oakland Black/African-American Scholars in achieving their post-secondary goals. Oakland Promise believes in an Oakland community without barriers to equity, and we hope this grant can provide additional financial support to our Black youth. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis -- encourage your Scholar to apply today!
OP Youth Organizer Grant
Students can still apply to our Oakland Promise Youth Organizer Grant! This grant is open to Oakland youth of any age seeking to start or continue efforts of community service and leadership within Black or other underserved communities of color. Any youth in Oakland engaged in activism in service of the Black and/or underserved communities of color, or to youth-led nonprofit organizations or initiatives are encouraged to apply. If you know any Oakland youth who fit this criteria, encourage them to apply today!
Mentor Reminders
Stay Connected with the Community
Our OP Mentor Facebook Group is the place to receive the most up-to-date Mentor Program announcements and connect with the OP Mentor community to share mentoring tips, questions, internship/job opportunities and more.
Use our OP Google Group to post an internship opportunity with your employer, to find other Mentors who can help expand your Scholar's network, or to share resources across the community.
Join today!
We want to hear from YOU!
What moments stand out for you? How are you growing as a Mentor?
Each Mentor-Scholar relationship is unique, and sharing it can help others - including New Mentors - learn about what to expect, how to manage their expectations, how to celebrate successes, and more.
Mentor Leads Needed
We are seeking 1-2 Mentor Leads and/or Co-Leads to support the following teams:
BCC & Other Community Colleges, HBCU, NorCal, SoCal, CSUEB, UCSC and Laney/College of Alameda.
Mentor Leads are helpful, committed and experienced folks who want to support their Mentor teammates.
Apply today below!
This Month, We're Reading..
"For many college students, pandemic life is disappointing. For others, it is a financial crisis."
Stephanie Saul, March 31, 2021, New York Times
