Paid Regional Mentors Sought for WT’s AmeriCorps Program

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — Mentors are sought in several Panhandle towns through a community partnership program of West Texas A&M University.

WT’s Rural Resilience and Opportunity on the High Plains AmeriCorps program, or R2OHP, seeks mentors for its current service sites in Tulia, Hereford, Canyon, Pampa and Borger, as well as for planned service sites in Friona, Clarendon, Childress, Canadian, Dalhart and Dumas.

Selected applicants receive a living allowance each month and, at the end of their service, can receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to help pay for educational expenses and qualified student loans.

The R2OHP AmeriCorps program focuses on an expanded mentoring program, with members serving as academic and resource coaches. Those members serve historically under-resourced and rural populations in the Texas Panhandle consisting of economically disadvantaged, first generation and other underrepresented groups of high school and college students as well as adult learners, said Misty Rueda, program director.

In October, WT was named the anchor institution for a new AmeriCorps program, partnering with area high schools, community colleges, community organizations and business, workforce and economic development entities to augment existing systems and generate additional opportunities.

The University was awarded a total of $1.4 million over the course of three years from the OneStar Foundation, the governor-appointed state service commission for national service, as well as nearly $800,000 from the Greater Texas Foundation.

Mentors can be students from WT, Amarillo College, Frank Phillips College and Clarendon College, as well as retired teachers, counselors and other members of the community.

Zoom informational sessions will be held at noon and 6 p.m. June 1, 2 p.m. June 3, 12:30 p.m. June 4, 4:30 p.m. June 7, 5:30 p.m. June 8 and 10:30 a.m. June 10.

To register, click here: docs.google.com/forms/d/1XVJT9pmwVw5SecnSh4DnxT9iGqC1HG755K-h--OGxUg/edit

In the sessions, recruits will learn more about what AmeriCorps is, how to join, and what AmeriCorps members are doing throughout the Texas Panhandle.

“AmeriCorps members serve in our local communities at high schools, community colleges and WT,” said Laura Seals, program manager. “They mentor high school students, with an emphasis on post-secondary planning, including help in test preparation and filling out financial-aid applications. They will serve on college campuses as mentors who help students find resources and stay on track with their academic plans.”

Up to 30 additional students are sought to join the program, which expects to have at least 20 returning members. To register, email Seals at lseals@wtamu.edu.

To be eligible to serve in AmeriCorps, students must be U.S. citizens and must pass appropriate background checks.

Addressing regional challenges and emphasizing educational attainment and economic opportunity in the Panhandle are major components of the University’s long-term plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. With enrollment of more than 10,000, WT offers 60 undergraduate degree programs, 38 master’s degrees and two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 15 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

—WTAMU—