Austin Community College (ACC) is seeking mentors for Puente, a national award-winning program that helps educationally disadvantaged students enroll in and advance through the college experience.

During fall 2017, the program will expand and be offered at ACC’s Highland, Riverside, and South Austin campuses to serve an estimated 120 students. Faculty and staff from other campuses can volunteer but would need to travel to those campuses to participate throughout the academic year.

Nothing is more helpful or valuable to our students than to have a mentor in someone who cares about them… -Dr. Armenta

“Nothing is more helpful or valuable to our students than to have a mentor in someone who cares about them and their success at ACC,” says Dr. Richard Armenta, director of Puente Project. “The Puente data over the past three semesters is so compelling that the college will expand the program from two to six cohorts.”

Sections will be available in math in tandem with reading and writing.

Mentor advises Puente student.

Puente (Spanish for “bridge”) is open to high school seniors and other incoming college students who enroll in a paired Developmental Writing/English Composition course and a student success course. In addition to one-on-one mentoring and academic coaching, students and their mentors take part in monthly group activities such as field trips and visits from guest speakers. Mentors typically spend about six to eight hours per semester with their student.

To learn more about being a Puente mentor, go to the Puente Mentor Handbook and visit www.austincc.edu/puente.

For more information, contact ACC Hispanic Outreach Projects Coordinator Alejandra Polcik at 512-223-7953 or email [email protected].

Tags: cohort, disadvantaged students, fall, Highland Campus, mentor, Puente Project, Riverside Campus, South Austin Campus