ASPIRE Program Goals:

• Provide mentoring and resources to help students access education and training beyond high school.
• Help high schools build a sustainable community of volunteer mentors.
• Educate students and families about the scholarship application process and other options for paying for postsecondary education.

What ASPIRE provides to your school:

• Technical assistance from qualified staff.
• On-site Workshops for high school staff, volunteers, students and parents on the financial aid and scholarship process, college selection and admissions.
• ASPIRE Curriculum that is updated yearly: Comprehensive policy and procedures manual, ASPIRE Volunteer Advisor handbooks, Timelines and suggested ASPIRE activities
• Ready to use project forms in both hard copy and electronic formats.
• Free list serve membership for all staff and volunteers, includes the bi-weekly ASPIRE Orbit e-newsletter.
• ASPIRE Fall Conference for your school staff and volunteers. This conference is hosted by an Oregon college and includes training by experts on ASPIRE activities and basic volunteer program management, as well as the opportunity to exchange ideas with other ASPIRE schools.
• ASPIRE website with resources for students, volunteers and families.
• Available on the site are curriculum forms, OSAC handouts, and screened web links to other Internet resources.
• Annual evaluation of the program and its impact at your school.
• Networking opportunities between ASPIRE participants.
• Limited AmeriCorps positions may be available to some sites depending on the success of our next AmeriCorps grant application. AmeriCorps members are placed for up to two years to help initiate ASPIRE. There is no guarantee that your school would have an AmeriCorps member.
  

If you would like to be added to the "direct mail list" when the application process opens, please send an email with your full mailing address to the Program Manager. You may also call (800) 452-8807 x7471 for more information.

The application requires basic demographic data, a response to narrative questions, a school profile, and signatures of the person preparing the application, the person who will be the site supervisor, the principal, and the district superintendent. Applications are reviewed and scored based upon a readiness to implement a volunteer based program. Application scores and follow up phone interviews determine the rank of the applicants and the order in which they will be added as ASPIRE sites.

• Recruiting and screening volunteers, including a required criminal background check. The Site Supervisor will also assign duties, provide supervision and evaluate the volunteers. Other high school staff and volunteers may assist with these tasks
• Provide a workspace for volunteers to meet with students.
• Maintain tort and accident insurance for volunteers.
• Provide release time to staff and pay for their travel costs to attend the annual one day ASPIRE Fall Conference.
• Distribute ASPIRE evaluation surveys each spring.
• Track the number and amount of all non-OSAC scholarships awarded to graduating seniors.
• Track the activities that volunteer advisors and students participate in.
• Ensure that a parent or guardian signs the ASPIRE permission form for their student to participate in the program.

If you have an AmeriCorps Member

• Direct day-to-day supervision of the AmeriCorps Member (may be full or part-time).
• Assist the Member to recruit volunteers by providing local contacts and support.
• Assistance with any problems (school related) that may arise.
• The Site Supervisor MUST attend a half-day AmeriCorps training program at the beginning of the school year.
  

Click on "Become a Mentor"
Click on "Find a mentoring opportunity"
Scroll down to Name/keyword search and enter "ASPIRE"
Select "View complete results"

Many ASPIRE programs also have a volunteer job called “Resource Specialist.” This position does not include mentoring students and could even be done from home. Review ASPIRE position descriptions.