One Small Chance Mentorship Program

A woman and two young girls are on a porch with boxes of supplies, smiling at the camera. The woman has short reddish hair, the younger girl has blonde hair with a black bow, and the older girl has long blonde hair and is wearing a Virginia sweatshirt. The background shows a neighborhood with houses, trees, and a yard with a basketball hoop.

At One Small Chance, we recognize that timely guidance can shape a student’s future. Our mentorship program connects motivated high school and college students with youth who face academic, social, and personal barriers — including financial hardship, limited support systems, and reduced access to positive role models.

Since launching the initiative, we have partnered with counselors and community organizations to identify students who would benefit from consistent, reliable encouragement and goal-setting support.

Background

This program pairs trained junior, senior, and college-level mentors with mentees for long-term, one-on-one support. Mentors assist with academic readiness, life skills, confidence-building, and post-secondary planning

About This Program

Program at a Glance

25+ mentees supported to date
15+ college and high school mentors recruited Partnerships with Hanover County Public Schools, Hanover Social Services, and community youth programs
Flexible virtual and in-person mentoring options
Focus on academic improvement, confidence, and future planning

Three people, two women and one young man, standing indoors near a door, smiling. The woman on the left is holding a cartoon character backpack, and the woman on the right is holding a large cardboard box. The young man in the middle is wearing a striped polo shirt.

Students with regular mentorship are:

55% more likely to enroll in college
81% more likely to participate in sports or extracurriculars
130% more likely to hold leadership positions (National mentoring statistics)

For many youth we serve, mentorship is life-changing.