Back on Track DC *** (Great place for adults to start since they can connect you to other services!)
You can access a variety of Adult Educational programs that offer services to adults who already have a diploma but want to work on their skills. This program is a one-stop resource for District residents of all ages who want to get back on track with their plans to pursue a secondary education credential and a career pathway.
Link: https://backontrackdc.osse.dc.gov/

The UDC Community College – Division of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning-
The mission of the Division of Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning is to reduce unemployment and underemployment in the District of Columbia by enhancing the skills of its residents. It provides District of Columbia residents with job skills training that enables them to pursue employment opportunities.
Link: https://www.udc.edu/cc/workforce-development/

Washington Literacy Center
WLC teaches basic skills – word attack (sounding things out), fluency (reading at a proper pace), and comprehension (understanding and thinking critically) to adults who read below a fifth grade level.
Link: https://www.washlit.org/

Washington Literacy Council
The mission of the Washington Literacy Council is to raise the literacy level of adults and children in the nation’s capital. To do this, the WLC trains volunteers to use a structured reading program based on the latest research in language acquisition.
Link: https://www.washingtonliteracycouncil.org/

Khan Academy
Khan Academy provides a free online tutoring service and you can do activities based on the areas you may struggle with.
Link: https://www.khanacademy.org/

You can also find additional resources from the DC Office of the State Superintendant of Education (OSSE) here.

Key resources are at http://www.dctutormentor.org/dctmi-team-readings/

Where can I find our DCTMI partner organizations’ videos?  Some can be found at http://www.dctutormentor.org/partner-videos/.

• What is the effectiveness of mentoring for youth in foster care?
• What factors influence the effectiveness of mentoring for youth in foster care?
• What pathways are most important in linking mentoring to outcomes for youth in foster care?
• To what extent have mentoring initiatives for youth in foster care reached and engaged these youth, been implemented with high quality, and been adopted and sustained?

• Both natural and program-based mentoring appear to be highly acceptable to youth in foster care, and mentees generally report high satisfaction with their mentoring experiences.
• Available research suggests that mentoring for children in foster care (across a range of ages and mentoring formats) can have positive impacts on many, but not all, targeted outcomes, including mental health, educational functioning and attainment, peer relationships, placement outcomes, and life satisfaction.
• Most formal mentoring programs that have been evaluated to date are multicomponent (that is, they include components other than one-to-one mentoring, such as skills groups) and utilize mentors who are agency staff members or university students.
• The impact of mentoring may differ based on demographic, and placement characteristics and key processes, such as improvements in self-determination and prosocial skills, may be the mechanisms through which mentoring outcomes are realized for this population.
• Finally, although there are many conceptual reasons why mentoring is an excellent fit for youth in foster care, there are pragmatic challenges that make widespread implementation difficult and no studies have examined program expansion or adaptation.

Individualized Education Plans (IEPs): Is your child struggling in school? Consider requesting an IEP

• Nemours – Why get an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for my child?
• Navigating IEP Meetings – understood.com
• DC Special Ed Coop – Parent and Caregiver Resources – Focuses on public charter schools
• Advocates for Justice in Education (AJE) – Among other services, it provides training for parents to learn about IEPs, advocacy and more

Policy, Advocacy and Support Organizations

• Childrens Law Center – Resources to support DC children and families in response to COVID-19
• DC Policy Center – COVID and education resources
• PAVE: Parents Amplifying Voices in Education – focuses on advocacy

Activities for Kids

• KidFriendly DC online education resources and other weekday activities
• Coding for Kids – Helping kids learn computer programming online

We have a couple of resources for high schoolers or older teens to highlight:

New Futures DC

New Futures propels underserved young people through certifications and community college degrees and into rewarding careers across the Washington, DC region. They invest with a deliberate combination of scholarships, academic advising, career coaching, and a lot of heart to help our Scholars launch in-demand careers that will lead to financial security. 

Chike Springer Foundation

A new nonprofit, the founder and her board expect to start offering assistance — career seminars, mentors, and possibly scholarships — for high school students interested in pursuing degrees in medicine and especially oncology.

GoPursue

1. Students Discover: Think of us like a dating app for students to find good careers and mentors. Each professional writes about their: favorite part of the job, personal advice, salary range, education and skills required, plus more information like the colleges they attended, the path they have taken to get where they are today, obstacles they’ve overcome, and more. Students swipe through professional profiles to favorite the careers that they want to pursue!
2. Students & Professionals Connect: Students have the power to direct message the professionals whose careers and advice resonated most. Students ask questions and professionals give real time insights. We offer support to turn these connections into lifelong mentorships.
3. Students & Professionals & Jobs: With minority representation and empowerment at the center of our mission, we are empowering the future workforce to see themselves in any and every industry. Together, through personal connections and awareness, we can change the landscape of the talent pipeline to be more diverse and inclusive than ever before.

If you have specialized skills, please let us know when you sign up to become a tutor or a mentor.  Some of our partners are likely to be able to put your skills to use and we will create a list below for them to review as they need specialized help:

• Math – Specializes in helping students prepare for calculus
• Reading – Reading specialists who can diagnose barriers to reading and “prescribe” or deliver specific exercises to help overcome barriers.
• Writing – We have a range of professionals who make their living as writers.
• Financial literacy – We have several volunteers who work in financial services and can help with workshops on college financing options and more.
• Science – We have a volunteer who has developed an innovative biology curriculum.

Building Relationships: A Guide for New Mentors (48 pp.)

MENTOR YouTube channel – A wide variety of videos for marketing, training, and inspiration for mentors and mentoring organizations.

National Mentoring Resource Center

A Mentor’s Guide to Youth Development (7 pp., 2007)