College and High School Aspiring Mothers Partnership for Success: CHAMPS

Group of young mothers and their mentees hold signs

The mission of the College and High School Aspiring Mothers Partnership for Success (CHAMPS) Mentoring Program is to assist Columbus area high school and young adult moms who are expecting or currently parenting with personal, college and career exploration planning. Offered through ACCESS Collaborative, CHAMPS is a comprehensive mentoring program between college parenting students and Columbus area high school and young adult moms who are parenting or pregnant that empowers teen and young adult moms with the knowledge that education can bring economic self-sufficiency and shows by example that it is possible.

Goals of the Program

To increase the young mom's opportunity to understand college from the perspective of a parenting student attending college, therefore increasing their chances to attend and graduate from a college or university.
To equip pregnant and parenting high school and young adult moms with the skills and knowledge to explore, plan and prepare for their career, education and life post-high school graduation.
To provide leadership skills to college parenting students that are transferrable to their future professional careers.

Program Details

Why Participate in CHAMPS?

Students who participate in the CHAMPS Program will have the opportunity to:

Build trusting and supportive relationships with college parenting students
Learn about exploring, planning and preparing for their career, education and life post-high school graduation
Learn first-hand experiences from college parenting students and techniques on how to balance school, parenting, work and life
Meet and interact with other young moms in the Columbus area
Receive a $25 gift card each month after completing all monthly CHAMPS program requirements

Participant Responsibilities

CHAMPS participants accepted into the program will be required to:

Attend monthly College Prep Workshops (in-person and virtual)
Interact regularly with CHAMPS Mentor
Complete monthly online mentee check-in forms

Mentor Commitment

Mentors commit to one year of mentoring beginning in the fall. Mentors will attend leadership development trainings prior to the start of the program to assist in the mentoring and relationship building process. The trainings will cover program curriculum, mentor expectations, how to foster mentor/mentee relationships and mentor/mentee benefits.

The Relationship

During the fall, mentors and mentees will be matched based upon common interests and career goals. The pair will interact monthly during the eight month project via program workshops, emails and phone. We are hopeful that mentees and mentors will build long lasting relationships and keep in contact after graduation and beyond the umbrella of the CHAMPS Program.

Eligibility

Mentees

Mentees will be matched with one pregnant/parenting current or former college student who participates (or participated) in The Ohio State ACCESS Collaborative Program in a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Mentees and their mentor must attend mandatory monthly career exploration and college prep workshops throughout the academic school year.

Eligibility: Participation as a Mentee requires:

High School student - OR - Potential College Student between the ages of 18-22 who is pregnant or parenting in Columbus or surrounding areas
Serious interest in attending a 2-year or 4-year college or university - OR - exploring career and/or workforce options post-high school graduation
Willingness to participate in a healthy mentoring relationship
Full-time custodial responsibility for at least one or more dependent children
A 2.5 GPA or above, a high school diploma, or a GED
- Please Note: Although we have desired GPA requirements, we will still review all applications, even if they do not meet the GPA requirements listed above.

Mentors

Category I: One-on-One Mentoring

Category I participants will be matched with one pregnant/parenting high school student in a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Category I mentors will be required to attend mandatory monthly workshops alongside their mentee throughout the academic school year.

Eligibility: Participation as a Category I Mentor requires:

Female single parent (or expecting single parent) attending a college or university in the Columbus area and enrolled in the ACCESS Program
Currently maintaining a GPA of a 2.5 or higher
Looking for professional, presentation and leadership skills
An interest in serving the community