Project MASCOT (Mentoring Alliance: Students and Communities Outreaching Together)

Project MASCOT, a nonprofit student organization, is a mentoring program in which University of Florida students mentor elementary school children in Gainesville.

Website: http://www.leadershipandservice.ufl.edu/project-mascot.html

Contact: (352) 392-1261, cls@dso.ufl.edu, fax: 352-392-5566

Address: Project MASCOT, Center for Leadership & Service, P.O. Box 114075, Gainesville, FL, 32611-4075

What they do: Project Mascot is a one-year program in which University of Florida students volunteer as mentors for underprivileged elementary school children.  Volunteers commit to coming to the child’s school during the lunch hour once a week and commit to helping and motivating the student for 30 minutes.  At the end of the spring semester, there is a trip to a Florida theme park that mentors and mentees attend together. 

What YOU can do to help: Volunteer mentors are needed. You can volunteer if you meet the following requirements:

      Be a University of Florida student

      Have a 2.0 or higher GPA

      Be a full-time student

      Be in good disciplinary and academic standing

Be available one day a week during lunch time on a school day for one whole school year

Be able to commit to an entire day during the spring semester to attend a trip to a Florida theme park with mentee

Be able to attend a required orientation session at the beginning of the school year 

      Be able to pay $65 dues to help pay for the end-of-the-year trip

If you would like to volunteer, check the website in August 2009 for information on the orientation sessions available.  Volunteers are required to attend one of these orientation sessions so they can be matched with a mentee and receive the program’s guidelines.