In every class and in every school, a few students require a bit more attention, whether on the playground or in the classroom. The Sage Mentorship Project is a one-on-one mentoring program which strives to serve these students and help them reach their true potential. Founded in 2007, we seek to build authentic and powerful relationships by pairing a Bay Area elementary school student with a UC Berkeley student mentor. Acting as positive role models, our mentors aspire to instill strong academic values and self-confidence into their youthful mentees.
Since its inception, The Sage Mentorship Project has expanded from a few mentors in one school to 450 UC Berkeley volunteers in 10 schools in the Oakland and Berkeley school districts serving hundreds of elementary school students. Our efforts have led community leaders such as UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert J. Birgeneau, Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates, Congresswoman Barbara Lee, and school administrators to affirm the value of Sage in our communities - and we feel our work has only just begun.