Volunteer Near-Peer Mentor for Inland Empire Youth

The Inland Empire Legal Literacy Project (IELLP) is seeking reliable, youth-centered volunteers to serve as near-peer mentors in the first cohort of our "NEXT UP" Youth Mentorship and Civic Leadership Fellowship, launching in Summer 2027.

NEXT UP will connect Inland Empire high school students with local college students, graduate students, and early-career professionals who are pursuing similar educational and career goals. Mentors will represent fields including academia, criminal justice, law, public policy, nonprofit leadership, and related areas.

The program is built around a simple hypothesis: high school students may be more likely to pursue and succeed in their goals when they have consistent support from someone who is already navigating the next stage of a similar journey.

For example, a seasoned attorney can provide valuable advice and inspiration to a student interested in law. NEXT UP goes one step further by pairing that student with a local college or graduate student who may currently be completing pre-law coursework, preparing for the LSAT, applying to law school, or beginning a legal career. A mentor who is balancing classes, employment, family responsibilities, financial pressures, and other challenges can help a student see not only that a goal is possible, but also how someone with a similar background is actively working toward it.

Seasoned experts will remain an important part of the fellowship through career panels, workshops, and other group events. However, the core mentoring relationship will center on accessible near-peer mentors who can provide consistent, practical, and relatable guidance.

About the Program

NEXT UP grew out of a research and program-design proposal developed by IELLP Founder and Executive Director Jaz Williams and UCLA PhD Candidate Mario Varo for a presentation at the Black and Brown Minds and Mattering Conference at Chaffey College.

They are both deeply rooted in the Inland Empire and saw mentorship change the trajectory of their lives. While developing their conference proposal, they recognized that mentorship had given each of them access to guidance, encouragement, and possibilities they might not otherwise have received. NEXT UP represents their effort to pass that support forward to young people throughout the Inland Empire.

The eight-week Summer 2027 fellowship will include:

• Individual near-peer mentorship
• Weekly collaborative events and group reflections
• Career panels featuring seasoned professionals
• Career and postsecondary pathway exploration
• Civic leadership and community-engagement activities
• An “Inspirational Change” capstone through which students will develop a youth-chosen idea for creating positive change
• Opportunities to connect with educators, professionals, organizations, and community leaders

The Mentor’s Role

Each mentor will be matched with a high school student based primarily on shared interests and the relevance of the mentor’s education, experience, or career pathway to the student’s goals.

Mentors are not expected to have every answer, solve every problem, or direct a student’s future. Their role is to build a trustworthy relationship, listen, share relevant experiences, help the student navigate opportunities, and support the student in making informed decisions for themselves.

Mentors will help students understand what it ACTUALLY looks like to achieve a goal. This includes the setbacks, stress, family responsibilities, and everyday work that often remain invisible when young people see only the finished success of established professionals.

Mentor Responsibilities

• Build a consistent, supportive relationship with an assigned student throughout the eight-week fellowship.
• Complete a rigorous training curriculum on youth-centered mentorship, cultural humility, race equity, youth safety, and appropriate mentor boundaries.
• Meet with the student weekly for at least 30 minutes to discuss their interests, experiences, goals, challenges, and progress.
• Communicate reliably and notify the student and IELLP staff promptly about scheduling changes.
• Listen without judgment and create space for the student to express their perspectives, priorities, and concerns.
• Help the student identify and pursue educational, career, civic, leadership, or personal-development goals that are meaningful to them.
• Share relevant experiences from your own educational or professional journey, including obstacles, mistakes, lessons, and strategies that helped you progress.
• Help the student understand the education, skills, milestones, and experiences associated with their area of interest.
• Support the student in identifying practical next steps, such as researching programs, preparing applications, selecting courses, developing skills, or finding relevant opportunities.
• Broaden the student’s access to educational, professional, civic, and community resources.
• When appropriate, facilitate warm introductions to educators, professionals, employers, organizations, and community leaders aligned with the student’s interests.
• Attend and participate in required weekly collaborative events, workshops, career panels, and group reflections.
• Support the student’s completion of an “Inspirational Change” capstone project.
• Encourage the student to assume increasing responsibility and leadership as the fellowship progresses.
• Participate in required IELLP training, staff check-ins, and reflective discussions.
• Maintain appropriate mentor-student boundaries and follow all IELLP youth-safety, privacy, and communication procedures.
• Seek assistance from IELLP staff when a student’s needs or circumstances extend beyond the mentor’s role.
• Participate in a planned end-of-program reflection and closure conversation with the student.

What We Are Looking For

NEXT UP is especially interested in college students, graduate students, and early-career professionals who are currently navigating pathways that Inland Empire high school students may want to pursue.

Ideal mentors will demonstrate:

• A genuine interest in building a supportive relationship with a high school student.
• A personal, educational, or professional connection to the Inland Empire.
• Current study or early-career experience in academia, criminal justice, law, public policy, nonprofit leadership, or another relevant field.
• Reliability and a commitment to completing the full eight-week fellowship.
• Strong listening, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Respect for youth voice, choice, identity, culture, and lived experience.
• Willingness to help students define their own goals.
• Ability to provide encouragement, information, and practical guidance.
• Willingness to speak honestly about the challenges involved in pursuing educational and professional goals.
• Openness to working with students whose identities, backgrounds, or experiences may differ from their own.
• Openness to supervision, feedback, reflection, and continued learning.
• Ability to recognize when a concern should be referred to IELLP staff.

Mentors do not need to attend an elite institution, hold an impressive title, have a perfect academic record, or possess an extensive professional network. Lived experience, consistency, honesty, and the ability to relate to young people are valuable qualifications.

We especially encourage people who have navigated challenges involving finances, employment, family responsibilities, academic setbacks, limited access to professional networks, being the first in their family to attend college, or other barriers to apply. Those experiences may help students see that their goals are attainable regardless of what they may be going through.

Time Commitment

Selected mentors must be available to:

• Complete required orientation, training, and screening before being matched with a student.
• Meet with their assigned student for at least 30 minutes for 8 weeks.
• Attend required weekly collaborative events, workshops, panels, and group reflections.
• Participate in periodic check-ins with IELLP program staff.
• Communicate consistently with their assigned student and IELLP.
• Support the student’s development of an “Inspirational Change” capstone.
• Complete an end-of-program reflection and planned closure process.

IELLP will accommodate flexible schedules when necessary.

Training and Ongoing Support

IELLP will provide mentors with structured preparation and ongoing support throughout the fellowship. Training will address:

• Near-peer mentor roles, expectations, and boundaries
• Youth-centered communication and active listening
• Youth voice, agency, and shared decision-making
• Cultural humility, race equity, and identity support
• Career and postsecondary navigation
• Civic-action and capstone facilitation
• Social-capital building and appropriate professional introductions
• Youth safety, mandatory reporting, and escalation procedures
• Problem-solving, match support, and planned closure

IELLP staff will remain available to help mentors address challenges, clarify expectations, and identify appropriate resources. Mentors will not be expected to manage difficult situations alone.

Screening Requirements

Because mentors will work directly with high school students, selected applicants must complete all required screening and youth-safety procedures. Requirements may include:

• A volunteer application
• An interview
• Reference checks
• A background check
• Required orientation and training
• Agreement to IELLP’s youth-safety, privacy, communication, and professional-conduct policies

Final placement is contingent upon successful completion of all applicable requirements.

Why Become a NEXT UP Mentor?

NEXT UP mentors will have the opportunity to:

• Build a meaningful relationship with an Inland Empire student.
• Help a young person see how someone from a similar community is actively pursuing goals like their own.
• Make educational and career pathways more understandable, practical, and accessible.
• Share lessons from their journey while strengthening their own leadership and communication skills.
• Connect with other mentors, educators, seasoned professionals, and community leaders.
• Help develop and improve an evidence-informed mentorship model designed for Inland Empire youth.
• Continue the kind of mentorship that has changed the trajectories of many students and emerging leaders.

How to Apply!

Complete the NEXT UP Mentor application by NOVEMBER 21st

• Attach your resume.
• Attach a cover letter that explains why you want to become a NEXT UP mentor.

For questions, contact Jaz Williams (jw@iellp.org)

• The Inland Empire Legal Literacy Project is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment for young people. Applicants from diverse educational, professional, cultural, and lived backgrounds are encouraged to apply.