NBA Foundation: Students have the help they need with iMentor
iMentor was selected as one of the grant recipients by the NBA Foundation.
The path from high school, through college and into the work force is often unpredictable and complex. Fortunately, with the assistance of iMentor, students and young adults don’t have to maneuver these complicated routes by themselves anymore.
iMentor is a national non-profit organization that connects and empowers young people through mentors. iMentor matches every student in a partnered school with a mentor. The program starts when the student is in 11th grade and continues for two years after high school graduation.
The NBA Foundation, which is the league’s inaugural charitable foundation focused on promoting economic opportunity for Black youth, selected iMentor as one of the beneficiaries of its grant.
iMentor’s chief external officer, Celine Patel, stated, “We aim to establish mentoring relationships that enable first-generation college students to chase their dream college. We have a program manager, an iMentor staff member, who works within the school teaching about careers, financial literacy, resume creation, and all the essentials required for a student to pursue a rewarding career, which is our ultimate goal. What’s significant about this is that the students are learning both in the classroom and practically with their mentor.”
Students and their mentors from the iMentor program, which is one of the grant recipients of the NBA Foundation, attend a game of the Chicago Bulls.
Every week, the students convene with their mentors online and once a month, they meet in person. If they wish, the student and mentor can maintain their relationship up until the student’s college graduation.
“Mentors have the ability to open doors for youth through their expertise, knowledge, and guidance,” stated Katie Longofono, the Associate Director of National Development for iMentor. She added, “Mentors serve as cheerleaders and champions for the students.”
Since its establishment in 1999, iMentor has successfully paired over 38,000 students across the country with mentors. The organization provides its services to students in Baltimore, the Bay Area, Chicago, and New York.
Numerous new initiatives have been launched by iMentor, thanks to the partnership with the NBA Foundation.
“Working in partnership with the NBA Foundation has been absolutely amazing,” expressed Longofono. “Our collaboration with the NBA was formed during a period when we were deliberating on ways to assist students in making career-oriented decisions. Over the past few years, we have come to understand that it’s essential to pair college and career. Assisting someone in getting to college is one thing, but they might not understand what they want to pursue, or even what a fulfilling career looks like, and how their education can correlate directly to their career. The NBA has been instrumental in supporting many of our workshops, which include conducting an interview, resume writing, updating LinkedIn profiles, personal brand building and job applications.”
iMentor is there to make a difference as students navigate the significant milestones and transitions in their life such as high school, college, and career selection.
“NBA Foundation Executive Director, Greg Taylor, expressed pride in backing iMentor’s initiative of fostering impactful mentorship bonds for Black youth nationwide. He praised iMentor’s model, which equips young individuals with the skills to enroll and flourish in college, for its effectiveness and inspiring nature. He also expressed anticipation for the growth of their efforts,” said Greg Taylor.
Click here to learn more about iMentor and volunteer.
