Peer Mentor - College & Career Guide Program

Program Overview:

For a significant majority of Alaskans, education beyond high school is not a priority and not part of Alaska’s culture overall, according to a recent Institute for Higher Education Policy report. In fact, Alaska’s current college-going rate is 28 percent, among the nation’s lowest. ACPE, in partnership with the University of Alaska (UA) and related organizations, funded by the U.S. Department of Education College Access Challange Grant, has developed and will implement a peer-mentoring program as part of statewide efforts to foster a college-going culture.

The purpose of the peer mentor program is to increase the number of high school graduates who enroll in and complete postsecondary education. This includes two- and four-year accredited postsecondary institutions as well as trade/vocational certificate programs. The overall goal is to increase Alaska’s college-going rate by five percentage points.

The project is expected to unfold in four phases:  pilot development, implementation/improvement, expansion, and sustainment. Phase I is development of a pilot peer-mentoring program at Service High School in the Anchorage School District for the 2008-09 school year. Phase II focus will be on using the pilot phase experiences and data to inform planning efforts to implement the program more fully and refine program operations. Phase III will focus on expanding the program’s reach across the state, while continuing quality improvement efforts.   

The peer-mentoring program will consist of career/college guides (recent college graduates) placed in local high schools to directly assist students with making positive curricular choices and selecting activities directly related to college admission, financial aid, and scholarship applications. Working alongside guidance counselors, the guides will motivate and assist students through the career exploration, higher education preparation and application process.