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Legacy Haven Academy Mentorship Program (LHAMP) Summary

The Legacy Haven Academy Mentorship Program (LHAMP) is a structured, voluntary peer mentoring initiative designed to foster academic success, leadership development, and community cohesion at Legacy Haven Academy. It creates vertical "legacy chains" by pairing upperclassmen with younger students. Running annually from July to June across four terms, LHAMP aims to ease school transitions, enhance academic performance, and build a strong school community, targeting 80% student participation. Inspired by the Marine Corps Mentorship Program (MCMP) and augmented with best practices from school-based mentoring programs (e.g., Big Brothers Big Sisters, UCLA Cross-Age Mentoring, MENTOR.org standards), LHAMP fosters long-term mentorship bonds.

Empowering Youth With Measurable Academic and Leadership Outcomes

Academic Support: Increase mentee GPA by 10% and homework completion by 15%, tracked via termly teacher reports.

Leadership Development: Enhance mentor confidence and leadership skills, with 90% reporting gains via reflection journals; prepare seniors for college/career transitions.

Transition and Retention: Boost attendance for new 5th graders and 8th graders by 25%, easing grade transitions and reducing dropout risks.

Community Building: Strengthen school connectedness, with 75% of participants reporting a stronger sense of belonging (end-of-year surveys).

Program Structure

Pairings

Fixed vertical structure to create stable legacy chains, fostering mentorship continuity:

  • Grade 12 → Grade 5: Support elementary-to-middle transition; model maturity.
  • Grade 11 → Grade 8: Aid middle-to-high school navigation; academic focus.
  • Grade 10 → Grade 7: Build study habits; emphasize peer engagement.
  • Grade 9 → Grade 6: Introduce leadership; build confidence.
  • Estimated 96-120 pairs (24-30 per pairing, based on 96-120 students per grade).

Duration‍

12-month cycle (July-June), spanning four terms, renewable annually.

Administration‍

Led by a Mentorship Coordinator (counselor with support team), using a digital platform (e.g., Google Classroom) for scheduling and tracking.

Opt-In Process‍

Kickoff assembly in Week 1 of Term 1; interest surveys match pairs based on shared interests and strengths. Parental consent forms emphasize voluntariness.

Training

  • All mentors: 4-hour orientation (covering goal-setting, active listening, mentoring principles) plus 2-hour joint mentor/mentee session. Annual 1-hour refreshers.
  • Grade 9 mentors: Additional A.S.I.S.T. training (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training) and emergency skills (e.g., basic first aid, crisis de-escalation) to equip them for potential mentee emergencies, integrated into the curriculum.

Resources‍

Digital Mentoring Agreement (outlining confidentiality, expectations), Student Development Plan (SDP) for goal tracking, and an activity toolkit with academic and leadership-focused activities.

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image of volunteerism in nature for an environmental conservation nonprofit
image of a school event
image of a volunteer mentoring teenagers in a tech workshop

Key Mentorship Sessions

LHAMP includes 20-25 hours of engagement per pair annually, balancing structured and flexible activities across four terms. Sessions are mentee-driven to promote agency, using a 4-step model (clarify, explore, focus, confirm) adapted from MCMP.

  1. Kickoff Orientation (Week 2, Term 1, 90 minutes):
    • Icebreakers (e.g., "legacy timelines" sharing family stories or hobbies).
    • Sign Mentoring Agreement; discuss boundaries and expectations.
    • Goal: Establish trust and rapport.
  2. Goal-Setting Workshop (Month 1, Term 1, 60 minutes):
    • Co-create SDP with 3 measurable goals (e.g., academic: "Improve science grade by one letter"; personal: "Join a sports team").
    • Incorporate mentor input (e.g., study strategies) and teacher feedback.
  3. Termly Check-Ins (60 minutes, 8x/year, 2 per term):
    • Formats: Classroom, lunch, or virtual (via secure platform).
    • Agenda: Review SDP progress, exchange feedback, engage in mini-activities (e.g., practicing public speaking or time management).
    • Track via digital SDP journal.
  4. Themed Skill-Building Sessions (45 minutes, 4x/year, one per term):
    • Academic Boost: Buddy reading, math games, or homework pods.
    • Leadership Challenge: Collaborative projects (e.g., 12th/5th graders design a school event; 9th/6th plan a study group).
    • Transition Prep: School tours or "big kid" tips for 5th/8th graders (e.g., navigating lockers or schedules).
    • Skill Share: Mentors teach practical skills (e.g., note-taking, goal planning).
  5. Mid-Year Review (January, Term 2, 45 minutes):
    • Evaluate SDP progress; adjust goals if needed.
    • Peer circles for cross-pair sharing (e.g., group discussions on leadership).
  6. End-of-Year Celebration (June, Term 4, 2 hours):
    • Legacy Fair: Pairs present projects (e.g., posters, video recaps of their mentorship journey).
    • Award certificates; transition to "alumni network" for ongoing contact.
  7. Crisis/As-Needed Supports:
    • Ad-hoc meetings for urgent issues (e.g., academic struggles, peer conflicts).
    • Grade 9 mentors apply A.S.I.S.T./emergency training if crises arise (e.g., identifying distress signals).
    • Coordinator mediates; hotline available for escalations.

Augmentations: Added youth-friendly elements (e.g., crafts, games, emoji-based "Buddy Pacts") to enhance engagement, inspired by BBBS and UCLA models.

Mentor/Mentee Relationship

The relationship is built on trust, reciprocity, and safety, drawing from MCMP’s informal ethos:

Mentor Responsibilities

  • Model positive behaviors (e.g., punctuality, accountability).
  • Provide 1:1 encouragement; invest 1-2 hours/month.
  • Reflect on growth via termly journals.
  • Grade 9 mentors: Leverage A.S.I.S.T. and emergency training to support mentees in distress (e.g., recognizing signs of stress, referring to counselors).

Mentee Responsibilities

  • Drive session agendas; share challenges openly.
  • Track progress in SDP; express gratitude (e.g., thank-you notes).

Core Principles

  • Confidentiality (except for safety concerns, with Grade 9 mentors trained to escalate via A.S.I.S.T. protocols), mutual respect, and open dialogue.
  • Building Bonds: Start with shared interests (e.g., sports, music); progress to deeper topics (e.g., academic goals, leadership aspirations). Use "Buddy Pacts" (fun contracts with emojis) to solidify commitment.
  • Guidelines: 1:1 ratio; no romantic/fraternizing elements. Maintain grade gap to ensure mentorship hierarchy. Coordinator monitors via termly check-ins.
  • Support Mechanisms:
    • Hotline for conflicts; re-pair within 4 weeks if mismatched.
    • Training for mentors emphasizes clear communication and boundary-setting.

Evaluation: Pre/post surveys (Likert scales on trust, belonging); 85% satisfaction target. GPA, attendance, and leadership metrics tracked termly.

LHAMP incorporates enhancements from a review of school-based mentoring programs (e.g., BBBS High School Bigs, UCLA Cross-Age, PGC, MENTOR.org, Chronus, Attendance Works):

Augmentations from Comparative Analysis

Evidence-Based Activities

Integrated randomized pairing pilots (PGC model, 10% graduation boost) and structured goal-tracking (MCMP-inspired SDP) for academic rigor.

Technology Integration

Digital SDP platform (Chronus-inspired) for real-time goal tracking; secure app for scheduling and journaling.

Sustainability

Monthly "Mentorship Day" (port/starboard scheduling, per MCMP recommendations) to address time constraints; dedicated coordinator for oversight.

Evaluation Depth

Multi-source feedback (surveys, journals, teacher inputs, GPA/attendance data) targeting 85% retention rate and measurable outcomes (e.g., 15% homework completion increase).

Youth Engagement

Added fun elements (crafts, games, "Buddy Pacts") to appeal to younger mentees, addressing gaps in corporate-leaning models like Chronus.

Hybrid Option

Blended peer-adult mentoring (from Attendance Works) for high-needs mentees, with teachers as backup advisors.

image of students collaborating on a project (for a edtech)

Expected Outcomes

LHAMP aims to create a cohesive school community where students excel academically and develop leadership skills. The vertical legacy chains ensure long-term mentorship continuity, preparing mentors for future roles and mentees for academic success. With robust evaluation, A.S.I.S.T.-trained 9th graders, and evidence-based augmentations, LHAMP targets a 90% satisfaction rate and measurable improvements in GPA, attendance, and school connectedness, positioning Legacy Haven Academy as a leader in peer mentorship.