Volunteer Positions
Our incredible volunteer community empowers students to thrive in college and dream boldly about their futures — not just what’s possible, but what’s next.
Mentors
Beginning their sophomore year of high school, each of our incredible students is matched with two mentors who work with them to discover, plan, and ready themselves for college. This includes building a strong, trusting, empathetic relationship with their mentors. Our mentors serve as positive role models and catalysts for the students, encouraging them to fulfill their full potential.
What we look for:
The ability to commit to at least one year with MMBay (3 years highly preferred), show up prepared for session, and be accessible during the week for your mentee.
While there are no required meetings outside of Saturday sessions, mentors should be responsive to short texts/emails from their mentees during the week and actively check in from time to time.
The ability to build rapport and trust with people of all different backgrounds, experiences and ages.
A willingness to learn, listen, and collaborate.
The ability to set stretch goals and standards that mentees can achieve.
Conscientious and communicative practices.
Prior experience mentoring or coaching at-risk, first generation, or low-income youth a plus but not required.
Instructors
The instructional component of our programs is designed to equip students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary for achieving academic success at school and in their standardized tests. Our instructors serve as guides and role models for our students, encouraging them to deepen their knowledge base and to enjoy the process of learning. Instructors take on a variety of different tasks in our organization: leading a class of 3–4 students (on average) on a subject area, teaching the SAT/ACT, and developing and delivering workshops on close reading, critical thinking, and statement writing skills for our students and their mentors. We will work with you to find a role that best fits your skills and experience.
What we look for:
The ability to commit to at least one year with MMBay (two preferred), show up prepared for session, and be accessible during the week for lesson preparation.
Presentation and facilitation skills appropriate to a small group and/or classroom setting.
Depth of knowledge and passion for a particular academic subject.
Ability to take a complex concept and simplify it, so that anyone can learn it.
Curiosity for how things work—especially when it comes to academics and tests.
Passion for setting goals and gaining concrete results.
Ability to work in a team and navigate ambiguity.
Prior experience designing a curriculum and instructional materials is a plus but not required.
“At MMBay, I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of building an impactful organization.”
Adam F.
MMBay Volunteer Leader 2019–Present
Saturday Session Leadership Roles
Pod Leaders Each mentee class is divided into Pods of about 8-10 students and their mentors. Two Pod Leaders work together to manage each Pod, guiding mentoring session activities, facilitating discussions, and supporting the work of the mentors and mentees in their Pod. Mentoring session curriculum is provided to Pod Leaders by the Mentoring Leads. Pod leaders are highly encouraged to commit at least two years with MMBay.
Mentoring/Instruction Leads Mentoring Leads create, manage, and lead the mentoring curriculum for their respective class. The Instruction Leads manage their team of Instructors and lead the Instructional curriculum for their respective grade level. We have collected lesson plans that are aligned to our three-year curriculum and both Leads curate these resources for the Pod Leaders and Instructors to implement each session. Both Mentoring and Instruction Leads are expected to be able to commit at least two years with MMBay.
Hybrid roles are those that don’t require volunteers to be in session every Saturday (though some of the roles do require some Saturday session commitments).
Programming Team Summer Learning Program Directors , College Admissions & Financial Aid Program Managers, Personal Statement readers, Instruction Curriculum Writers
Summer Learning Program Directors (variable commitment, up to ~8 hrs/week)—Responsible for managing the Summer Learning application process for both Sophomores and Juniors, including Q&A email response and occasional presentations during Saturday session
College Admissions & Financial Aid Program Managers (variable commitment, up to ~4 hrs/week)—Responsible for helping to manage college applications/lists for Senior mentees and aiding in presentations on topics regarding college/financial aid to all mentees; occasional attendance required on Saturdays
Personal Statement Readers (variable commitment, up to 3–4 hours/ week in the late fall)—Responsible for reading and providing feedback on personal statement essays for college and scholarship applications; occasional attendance required on Saturdays
Hybrid Roles
“I gave many years of my life to this organization, because I saw firsthand what it meant for every student. I’m thrilled to see MMBay continue to grow its impact.”
Mary K.
MMBay Volunteer Leader 2016–2020
MMBay Mentor 2015–2018