Trinity College Students Mentor
Hartford Magnet Middle School Sixth Graders

          HARTFORD, Conn., November 19, 2001 -- Trinity College’s Vision Academic Mentoring Program (VAMP) pairs up Hartford Magnet Middle School sixth graders at The Learning Corridor with Trinity students. VAMP is funded by a three-year grant awarded by the Marie and John Zimmerman Foundation Inc. The program began on October 30th and will run until the end of the school year.
           There are a total of 32 sixth graders enrolled in the VAMP program who were chosen via a lottery system. The students begin with a snack and then go right into their assignments. Shanta Evans, program coordinator for VAMP says, “Our ultimate goal and mission is to show the children the benefits of attaining and maintaining academic success by continuing their education after high school. We are very excited about this program.” The 15 Trinity student "academic mentors" are carefully screened and trained for the program. Once enrolled, the sixth graders will continue with the program until eighth grade.
           VAMP is being offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-5pm at the Hartford Magnet Middle School. Each tutor will be assigned two mentees. During this time, the tutors will provide the sixth graders assistance with homework, mentoring, and learning enrichment. VAMP will also provide fieldtrips, activities, and other resources to help the mentors foster and develop a trusting and enriching relationship with their middle school students.
           The major goal of the program is to improve students’ math and reading levels, develop self-esteem through a variety of learning activities, involve parent/teacher participation, and provide college mentors who can inspire vision and educational goal setting.