SLS: Youth Mentor with HOLLA (2026-27 school year)

HOLLA's mission is to change the narrative for youth of color through culturally responsive relationships. 

This position is one of the options for Portland State's Student Leaders for Service program. Please apply to the Student Leaders for Service program to express interest in this opportunity. To access the application to apply for SLS for the the 2026-27 school year, please visit 

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SLS members serving with HOLLA would act as a mentor for a student (3rd through 12th grades) as well as an advocate on PSU’s campus. We are not your average volunteering or mentoring position. We ask mentors to really SHOW UP in student’s lives. This means connecting with families as well as acting as an advocate for that student both in and out of school.  Our mentees are students of color that would benefit from a positive adult role model to consistently connect with them. As a mentor, you will be participating in changing the narrative for youth of color by engaging in a relationship from a culturally responsive lens and by participating in spreading the word about our organization at PSU.

While you will meet independently with your student, we also provide optional opportunities for you and your student to connect on weekend field trips and activities throughout the year. We also have monthly training workshops and/or networking opportunities for folks to connect with other mentors and grow together. 

The position of mentor is central to the larger mission of HOLLA. Mentors are the ones who help change the narrative for black and brown students. At HOLLA we believe you can't be what you can't see; and mentors make that seeing a reality so that our students know than can belong in all spaces.

SLS Member Roles/Responsibilities:

• Mentor 1-2 students each week
  • 2-4 hours per week with each student (flexible based on schedules) at their school or in the community for mentoring sessions
  • Communicate with families and school regarding updates 
  • Be CONSISTENT. Consistency is integral to the mentor role; mentors must show up for their student(s)!
  • Provide weekly session reports from time with student
  • Attend occasional weekend field trips with students
    
    
• Provide leadership in developing relationships between PSU and HOLLA in order to raise awareness on campus
  • Volunteer to table at events or speak in classes representing HOLLA at PSU

• Assist in planning events for HOLLA mentors and mentees to increase college access and provide enrichment
  
  • Plan and coordinate a PSU visit for HOLLA students/mentors during the schoolyear
    
    
• Maintain open communication with HOLLA team including a monthly meeting and quick weekly check-in via email/phone
  
  
• Attend at least six monthly trainings throughout the year

Students will have ownership over how their mentor relationship looks. You may find it best to focus on academics or social emotional components. You will be the driving force behind the types of activities done with your mentee(s) and be the catalyst in ensuring that rapport is built. HOLLA staff always facilitates the introduction of a mentor to their mentee and the mentee's parent/guardian. HOLLA walks mentors through the steps to get started and the new mentor training ensures that mentors feel confident as they begin this journey. SLS Members will receive guidance through once a month in person meetings with HOLLA staff as well as weekly check-ins with their HOLLA supervisor. These meetings and conversations will walk through any concerns that arise, this is where collaboration and idea generation will happen, as well as learning from those who already work in this field as a profession.

Skills and Knowledge Required: Any experience working with youth/students. We mentor mainly students from 3rd grade up. While there are a few older students/teens, most of the matches will be with elementary to middle school aged students. Knowledge of systemic oppression, white supremacy, and other issues that face youth today is extremely valuable. Also, relevant cultural knowledge within the US context, and the US educational system specifically will be very helpful in being able to connect with our students as mentors.

Preferred Qualifications: Access to reliable transportation (public transit or otherwise), first-generation or students of color who identify with lived experiences of our mentees preferred.

Orientation and Training:  All mentors must go through the HOLLA Mentor screening process. This includes the mentor application, informal interview conversation, and pass a background check that includes driving history. Then there is a new mentor training required (usually during a Saturday in August), as well as at least six required monthly trainings throughout the year.  HOLLA also provides many resources for mentors including a weekly newsletter that highlights events and activities in the Portland area that could be done with a student as well,

Benefits of this Positions: Serving as a mentor at HOLLA adds to any student's educational experience. It adds a layer of real world learning and a tangible experience to theories and applications learned in the classroom. SLS Members will hone skills such as intercultural and intergenerational communication, social work skills, teaching skills, as well as gaining experience, connections, and understanding to other cultures, people, and ways of life. SLS members will also gain experience through interaction and guidance from HOLLA staff. They will contribute to the greater community through real life connections and building bridges so youth and families can see and understand new opportunities and ways of thinking.

Location & Transportation: Location varies for every match. Training happens at the HOLLA building - 14513 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97233. Most of the students being mentored live within a 15 minute drive of the HOLLA building.

Mentorship with HOLLA requires a mode of transportation beyond transit. unless mentors choose to meet solely with their students at the student's school.

Schedule Available: The schedule is very flexible. An SLS Members would most likely have 2 students that they would be mentoring, with a required commitment of 1.5 - 2 hours per week spent with each student. SLS Members would also be required to enter their sessions/time spent into our data system which would also count towards their 4-6 hours, normally that takes no more than 10-15 minutes per student. SLS Members will also have weekly check-in's with the Program Co-Manager to troubleshoot, brainstorm, ask questions, etc., and have a monthly in person check-in (which can happen at the HOLLA building or could be arranged to happen on the PSU campus!).

Supervision: The SLS member will directly report to our Program Co-Manager Nikki Humphries for mentoring support.

HOLLA was founded in 2013 by Executive Director, Eric Knox. Eric moved back to Portland after some time in LA and discovered gentrification had significantly impacted NE Portland and that displaced students of color lacked role models of color within the school systems. HOLLA was founded in response to this lack of representation in order to provide mentors of color to engage relationally with students. We exist to empower students of color in Portland. Our priority is to change the narrative of youth of color through culturally responsive relationships. Our programs provide representation, equity, and a wide range of supports for mentees and their families. We provide opportunities for representation, enrichment and exposure through athletics, arts, aviation, outdoors and college preparation. Relationships with our mentors are equally important, we spend time in on-going leadership development and community with mentors throughout the year. At HOLLA, diversity is not something we strive for, it is who we are. We celebrate the identities, individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, innovation, self-expression, and talent of each person- the visible and invisible qualities that make you who you are. HOLLA affirms and welcomes people of all races, ethnicities, abilities, experiences, socio-economic backgrounds, sexual orientations, gender identities, religion, and citizenship statuses. Our inclusive culture inspires us to be unapologetic, bold and speak openly. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion guides us into culturally responsive relationships that thrive on joyfully celebrating the individuals who make up our community.