As the head of Capital Partners for Education (CPE), a nonprofit organization that provides mentoring and college and career support for low-income and first-generation students in the academic middle, I have seen the scale of these dynamics up close. The challenges of distance learning, the isolation from friends and supportive adults and the stress and strain of the economic fallout from the pandemic are novel and pernicious burdens for students in communities across D.C. and the country.
The data indicate that these challenges are only accelerating. Students continue to learn less and struggle more the longer they are out of school. New research shows that the impact on the mental health of students is likely to be enduring — affecting them for years, perhaps decades ahead, rather than simply being a short-term challenge. Students will need positive, trusting one-on-one relationships and support across that time period, not just when school buildings reopen. That is especially the case for our high school students who simply have less time to get back on track and face unique coming-of-age challenges. Their futures hang in the balance.
We’re already seeing the impact of the pandemic on college enrollment. Community colleges, whose enrollments are majority minority, have seen huge enrollment declines of nearly 20 percent. The University of the District of Columbia’s community college, a vital steppingstone to postsecondary education for the District’s Black and Brown low-income students, lost more than 15 percent of its student body this past fall. This year’s freshman class, across all of postsecondary institutions nationwide, contracted by 13 percent. These are troubling trends that must be reversed.
Fortunately, we have the tools to build back these futures. Evidence-based, research-proven mentoring and a system of supports are uniquely positioned to aid our students today and over the long term. Mentoring provides the stability and guidance for youth as they manage their adolescence and, now, the unparalleled challenges resulting from the coronavirus. Students, especially those who are on the cusp of college eligibility, need the social-emotional scaffolding that mentoring provides to support their journey back to college readiness and future success.
The record on mentoring is clear. It works.
Low-income, first-generation students are 55 percent more likely to enroll in college and 130 percent more likely to hold leadership positions if they have a mentor. Capital Partners for Education has a proven track record of success: 61 percent of CPE students have graduated from college compared with 21 percent of their similarly-situated peers. The majority of CPE students reside in Ward 5, 7 and 8 neighborhoods with some of the highest poverty levels, the lowest college attainment rates in D.C. and the highest coronavirus transmission rates. These are the schools and communities that need our support now more than ever.
But beyond the facts and figures are the personal stories of support and success that give shape to the true impact of this work. CPE mentee Elijiah’s experience echoes that of hundreds of other program participants: “My mentor is like a walking guru. It’s nice that I can talk to him about stuff outside of school because at times, school is stressful. We can talk about cool things. It’s a game changer.… It assures you that you are not alone in this game of life.”
Presciently, D.C. budgeted to expand mentoring in its public schools this year. The planned investment could have supported 60 more students. Unfortunately, at the last minute, that funding was pulled. Despite higher-than-expected revenue and literally billions in new federal funding on the horizon, dozens of high-potential young people may now have to wait for their chance at the “game changer” Elijiah experienced.
Looking ahead, we will certainly need to provide our students with additional academic interventions, more time on task and other traditional enrichment opportunities in the years ahead. Our educators and school leaders must be equipped with the resources needed to provide the full suite of in-school improvement opportunities. We are proud to stand with a number of local advocates and organizations calling for these investments to make next school year the strongest year yet.
At the same time, to fully recover from the educational and social-emotional impact of the pandemic, our students will need the personal connection, customized support and one-on-one attention that mentoring can provide. We can get students back on track. We have the tools; we simply need to put them to use in the service of the students for whom they hold so much promise.
