Refugee Youth Mentorship
Our program serves Afghan men and women between the ages of 15-24, who were evacuated by the US Government after the fall of Kabul. Many were evacuated with their families during that period, some came later. All have legal immigration status and are ORR-eligible for services provided by the Afghan Supplemental Appropriations Act. The act provided funding for various agencies to support Operation Allies Welcome and related efforts, such as relocating individuals at risk due to the situation in Afghanistan.
In most cases, a member of their immediate family aided US Military in Afghanistan, including acting as translators, security patrols and paramilitary support. Afghan refugees arrive with limited English and are generally unprepared for our highly structured, fast-paced American lifestyle.
Mentors build confidence by spending time with their mentee, teaching life skills and helping youth get to know Austin. Basic computer instruction, English conversation practice, and guidance on how to search online for entry-level jobs are all wonderful ways to share your time. Tutoring in English and Math will be important for younger people who are still in high school.
This program is active and volunteer recruitment is ongoing. Mentorship is a very flexible opportunity, and anyone who has knowledge to share can mentor!
Mentorship Activity Examples
Academic Tutoring
English Conversation practice, in-person and online
Computer Skills (How to: compose emails, include attachments, create documents and slides)
College Application Prep: community college opportunities and more
Vocational schools: How to find and apply (Example: Skillpoint Alliance)
Assistance looking for part-time jobs that accommodate a high school schedule
Fun Activities - Bowling, Halal pizza, picnics
How to use a public library - how to get a library card, use public computers, print services, etc
Public transportation instruction - Planning a trip and practice riding CapMetro together (Example take the Pick Up service to the Kramer Metro station and ride to ACC Highland campus)
Enrollment is ongoing, we have many youth on our waiting list, ready to be matched.
Expectation Summary
Six month commitment
Six hours per month
Provide 3 references
Criminal Background Check required
Tx Dept Family Protective Services training required
Get matched with Afghan youths ages 15-24
Online and In-person Mentor Orientation is available
Ongoing Gii program supervision for duration of the match
In-home visits and mentee transportation to/from outings, as necessary for activities
Thank you for investing your time to learn about our mentoring program. If you’d like to know more before you proceed, send us a message using the button below. If we’ve answered your questions and you’d like to start your application, please scroll down and visit the next section.
Volunteer Mentor Application
I’m Ready!
If you’ve decided RYM is the volunteer opportunity you’ve been looking for, intake can start now. Our Gii documents are linked below for you to complete and upload.
Once the document uploads are complete, the final step is orientation where you’ll meet online with Gii staff and learn about our young clients and how we match you with an Afghan youth.
Training and orientation takes about 2 hours.
Screening and Training
Check list: Required forms and documents
Each of these documents are required to become a mentor. Please contact us if you have questions before beginning this process.
Photo of driver license or state ID
Proof of motor vehicle insurance
Volunteer mentors have a duty to report signs of abuse. As part of your training, you must complete a brief mandatory reporter course by TX Department of Family Protective Services. Instructions on how to create your user account and begin the course are provided in the linked sheet, (Item 3) this should take about 45 minutes and counts toward your two hour overall orientation.
At completion, you’ll receive a downloadable certificate.
For your convenience, and our recordkeeping, please upload your completed forms using our Mentor Documents Webform.