Lauren Rye
Partner Organization:
STRIVE Mentoring Program
Project goal:
Create paths of access to break cycles of poverty via mentoring/tutoring with youth living in the Hillcrest community and recruit, train and manage student mentors/tutors from UNC Asheville.
The Hillcrest Community Enrichment Center provides hundreds of hours in educational and tutoring support to the children and young adults. The STIRVE [Success Through Relationship, Investment, Versatility and Empowerment] program is a partnership between UNC Asheville's Multicultural Student Affairs Office and the Hillcrest Enrichment Center. Cammie serves as the coordinator of the STRIVE program that recruits college-age young adults to serve as mentors at the Hillcrest Enrichment Center. This partnership involves twelve mentors in the daily programming efforts hosted by this community based and community run center. Additionally, mentors organize a variety of subjects such as music, arts, and career exploration via college campus visits and tours. Serving both as mentor and as the coordinator of college mentors, Lauren also works to create partnerships with additional public housing enrichment centers where the STRIVE program can be replicated.