Adviser Sign-Up

If you are interested in being considered to advise participants in our youth “What If…” Mini Grant program, please review the following information and complete the form at the bottom of the page.

Purpose: 

To empower and help youth advocate for themselves and make positive, informed, and professional decisions as they strive to reach their fullest potential. To provide guidance, encouragement, support and direction in creating and executing a project/program.

Adviser Responsibilities:

Establish a positive, personal relationship with advisee:

• Establish mutual trust and respect.
• Maintain client confidentiality at all times.
• Maintain regular interaction and consistent support.
• Make your meetings enjoyable and fun.

Help advisee to develop life skills:

• Meet with advisee as needed.
• Work with advisee for the duration of the program/project.
• Work with advisee to establish and accomplish specific program/project goals.
• Instill the framework for developing broader life-management skills, (e.g., decision-making skills, goal-setting skills, conflict resolution, money management).

Assist advisee in obtaining additional resources:

• Provide awareness of community, educational, and economic resources available to youth and their families (including how to access these resources). Act as a resource broker as opposed to a resource provider.
• Work with your advisee to find a fiscal sponsor if our organization is not able to serve as one.

Act as a guide and/or advocate, coach and/or role model.

• Avoid acting as a professional case manager. View the role of a adviser as a friend rather than a counselor.

Increase advisee’s ability to interact with people/groups/things from various backgrounds (cultural, racial, socioeconomic, etc.):

• Respect and explore differences among people/groups from various backgrounds. Do not promote values and beliefs of one group as superior to those of another.
• Introduce advisee to different environments, such as workplace vs. school setting; discuss differences in behavior, attitude and style of dress.