Cincinnati Youth Collaborative | Volunteer Opportunities

In just five hours per month, CYC volunteers provide encouragement and guidance to students that help them overcome obstacles and succeed.

A CYC Mentor is a trusted, supportive adult who collaborates with a young person to help them achieve the unimaginable. CYC Mentors guide students to:

Understand types of maturity
Identify a self-value system and how it affects life
Base decisions on values and goals
Identify process of decision-making
Demonstrate ability to assume responsibility for actions and decisions
Demonstrate a positive attitude
Develop a healthy self-concept for home, school, and work

While the benefits and statistics are undeniable, the real impact of mentoring is best illustrated through personal stories.

The Benefits of Mentoring with CYC

Access to Mentoring and Partnerships (MAP) Staff who support a successful match
Strong partnership with Cincinnati Public Schools, North College Hill, Mt. Healthy, and Winton Woods School Districts; emphasizes student academic success
Flexibility and customization to meet volunteers’ and students’ needs
Volunteer perks to enrich the mentoring experience, such as monthly enrichments sessions for all mentors and mentees, discounts to local restaurants, events, and seasonal activities.

Volunteer your time in any of the following CYC programs and make a difference.

Co-Mentoring

This model is a collaborative/team approach to mentorship in which two or more mentors share the responsibility of supporting one mentee.

Focus: Co-mentorship is designed to reduce mentor burnout and provide the mentee with a broader range of perspectives and skills. It ensures that if one mentor is unavailable, the “team” still provides consistent support.

Group Mentoring

This program offers exceptional flexibility. This model matches a group of youth (usually 4–10) who participate in a shared experience or curriculum with one or more mentors.

Focus: Emphasizes that the peer-to-peer interactions within the group are just as vital as the mentor-to-youth interaction. It is highly effective for building social skills, community belonging, and collective identity.