Lake Washington School District (LWSD) recognizes the importance of providing opportunities for students to meet with and learn from community members. There are three different mentoring opportunities available to correspond with mentor interests and availability: AVID, Junior Achievement and the LINKS Lunch Buddy program.

AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is an elective offered in four LWSD middle schools and all LWSD comprehensive high schools. Mentors meet with a small group of students in the classroom at least once a week for one class period and lead inquiry-based discussions to help students learn to problem solve.

Junior Achievement (JA) is an education nonprofit dedicated to teaching students about financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. LWSD is focused on the “JA in a Day” program in elementary schools. JA in a Day offers mentors an opportunity to get involved with JA without juggling schedules or long-term commitments.

LWSD will offer one-hour information sessions for both AVID and JA opportunities. For specific dates and times, visit the AVID Information Sessions and Orientations calendar or the Junior Achievement Information Sessions and Orientations calendar on the district website. For those who would like to become mentors, training is provided, and the dates are also listed on the calendars.

In the LINKS Lunch Buddy Program (Looking Into the Needs of Kids in Schools), mentors provide social-emotional support to elementary students who need a little extra one-on-one attention. Mentors are matched with a student and meet once a week during the school year for lunch, games, crafts and conversation. All Lunch Buddy mentors attend a two-hour orientation session to learn about tips and resources for a successful mentoring experience.

To learn more about mentor programs, visit the Volunteer Programs page on the LWSD website at: www.lwsd.org/volunteer. For more information contact Chris Robison at crobison@lwsd.org or call 425-936-1270.