Be a Mentor

Volunteer to mentor with our MentorWorks program

Mentoring Students in FCPS

The mission of the MentorWorks program is to eliminate gaps in opportunity, access, and achievement through mentoring and to ensure that every FCPS student can name an adult they can talk to.

Mentoring is not tutoring and is not grounded in academic support. 

Our mentors are caring, responsible volunteers who give one-on-one time to FCPS students while encouraging them to develop their strengths and capabilities.  

Recent Questions from Prospective Mentors

The onboarding requirements for mentors are:

  • Register with Volunteer FCPS
  • Complete the Mentor Information Form
  • Attend the Virtual Mentor Training
  • Complete FCPS Background Check

  • Emotional Support:  Encouraging growth, confidence, and self-advocacy
  • Enrichment:  Connecting students to resources at their school and safe activities and resources within the community
  • Academic Motivation:  Supporting goal setting and school engagement
  • College & Career Exploration:  Helping students identify interests and future pathways

  • Mentors are placed in a school that is near where they live or work by the mentoring specialist.  Once assigned, they are strategically matched to a mentee by school personnel.
  • Mentoring relationships develop and strengthen over time and are rooted in continuous support as a mentee grows up and matures.
  • If the relationship is strong, mentors and mentees stay together as the student moves from one grade to the next and to middle or high school.

Face-to-Face Meetings

  • The majority of our mentoring relationships begin with in-person visits at the student’s school site during the school day.
  • Typically, mentors meet with students every week for at least 30 minutes (though this is somewhat flexible). In elementary school, meetings usually take place during lunch. In middle school and high school, meetings can take place during breakfast, lunch, Advisory period or after school. 

Virtual Mentoring

  • Virtual meetings can be blended with in-person meetings.  Each mentoring relationship is unique, so the balance between virtual and in-person meetings is determined on a case-by-case basis.  

  • On the  Mentor Information Form , you will be asked to select the school(s) where you would like to mentor. School selection is very important. It is recommended that you choose schools that are geographically located near where you live or work.
  • Even with virtual mentoring as an option, meeting face-to-face (in some capacity) is an important part of the mentoring relationship.  In addition, most schools sponsor mentoring events that are scattered throughout the year, and you might want to attend those events with your mentee.

Partner

  • Partner-designated program coordinator will recruit mentors on a mutually agreed upon schedule.
  • Partner-designated program coordinator will work with FCPS Mentoring Specialist to coordinate training, background checks, and mentor placement.

FCPS

  • The FCPS Mentoring Specialist will train new mentors, arrange for fingerprinting, and place mentors in schools.
  • After placement, mentor and mentee pairs are supported at the school level by the school-based mentoring coordinator.

Interested in Becoming a Mentor?

FCPS is seeking individuals, businesses, and community groups to mentor our students.

For Individuals: Register as a Volunteer Mentor For Businesses and Community Groups: Partnership Information

Interested in Finding a Mentor for your Child?

Mentoring programs are coordinated at the school level.  Please contact your child’s school counselor for more information.

Find your school/center

Contact

For more information on how to mentor students in FCPS or to learn more about mentoring partnerships with FCPS, please contact Martha Macdonald, Mentoring Specialist, [email protected] . 

Related Pages

At Glasgow Middle School, Every Student Can Find the Perfect Mentor

In Fairfax County's largest middle school, many mentors, each with their own unique skills, rise up to meet every student's needs.

Thank You, School Social Workers!

The goal of every FCPS school social worker is to make sure every student can succeed. They assess and address social, emotional, and behavioral factors that may stand in the way of students learning and doing their best.

Educate Fairfax

Educate Fairfax raises funds to support the MentorWorks program.