Higher Education Mentoring Initiative

About the Program

Category: Children and Youth (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

Higher Education Mentoring Initiative Hamilton County, OH Population: 806,652 Nationally, 2004 PEW statistics suggest that less than 3 percent of foster children who “age-out” of the foster care system will earn a college degree. Foster children often face unimaginable obstacles in regards to housing, employment and life-skills, and rarely, if ever, is higher education ever discussed as an option for them. To tackle this issue, Hamilton County, OH founded the Higher Education Mentoring Initiative (HEMI). HEMI is an innovative organization that fills an important gap in the foster care community. Each year, HEMI is able to provide long-term mentors to high school juniors and seniors to encourage, guide and inspire the foster children to obtain their higher education goals. The most effective mentors are able to form relationships based on trust and understanding. The approach of HEMI is simply to guide the foster students through their educational careers, encouraging and inspiring them to move higher. Through the mentors, HEMI helps prepare youth for educational opportunities beyond high school. The end goal is to set foster youth on a path toward successful careers and income, increasing their productivity within society. Today, the HEMI program is a dedicated partnership between five key organizations: the Hamilton County Commissioners, Hamilton County Job and Family Services, the University of Cincinnati, Great Oaks Career Campuses and Cincinnati State Technical and Community College. Each organization plays a unique role within the partnership, providing knowledge, resources and strategies. These partners provide day-to-day direction of the program, recruit mentors, provide resources, education about the foster care system, building support for the program and technical and general education to students. HEMI has seen tremendous success. To date, 100 percent of the high school seniors in the HEMI program graduated high school and 92 percent are still pursuing higher education.