Volunteer Resources

Our comprehensive guide to becoming a mentor through all of our core programs. Each handbook includes information about your role as a mentor, tips for working with students, academic resources, and practice scenarios.

• Accelerate Program Handbook – Resources and tips on becoming an Accelerate mentor to students in grades K-8.
• Aim High Program Handbook – Resources and tips on becoming an Aim High mentor to students in grades 9-12.
• Independent Learning Support Program Handbook – Resources and tips on becoming a remote mentor to students through our online ILS program.
• Motivate Program Handbook – Resources and tips on becoming a Motivate mentor and supporting a whole class of students.
• ILS Troubleshooting Guide – Please check this document for help with technical issues.

• Mentor/Mentee Activity Guide – A compilation of virtual activities for mentor/mentee matches, suggested by AmeriCorps Ambassadors of Mentoring.
• Understood – Social Emotional Learning: What to know.
• Edutopia – Supporting identities and experiences: Creating an identity-safe classroom.
• MENTOR – Trauma informed mentoring: Supporting youth in the wake of trauma.
• Becoming a Better Mentor – Strategies to Be There for Young People from MENTOR.
• Casel – Learn how to apply evidence-based SEL strategies to your mentoring.
• Centervention – 95 SEL Activities to do with your student(s). 
• Kids in Transition – Educational Wellness Activities to do with your student(s).
• SEL Resource Library – While aimed for teachers, examine through a mentoring lens.

• Khan Academy – Educational activities, step-by-step videos, and practice tests for STEM students grades K-12
• KidSites – Links to fun, educational websites for grades K-5 K, child development resources for parents, and curriculum materials for teachers.
• Homework Spot – Free homework information portal that features the very best K-12 homework-related sites together with engaging editorial in one high-utility, educational spot.
• Student Guide – Collection of resources and activities for K-12 students, including articles on hundreds of student-related topics to help them improve their study habits, writing skills, organizational skills, and analytical skills.
• Discovery Education – Free, award-winning K-12 digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and professional learning community.
• Teacher Vision – Free worksheets, graphic organizers, assessment forms, quizzes, games, activities, classroom management tools, lesson plans, bulletin board ideas, whiteboard-compatible digital books, and hundreds of supplementary videos.
• MENTOR: Goal Setting and Support – Guide to Goal Setting, positive-talk, and tracking milestones.
• National Science Foundation — Science-related educational opportunities.
• PBS Learning Media — All subject support.
• cK-12 — Homework Help (Available in Multiple Languages).
• FunBrain— Learning through games (Pre-K-8th).
• BrainPop — Educational movies, quizzes, and games (K-8th).
• EdPuzzle — Interactive videolessons.
• Teachers Pay Teachers — Digitable and Printable worksheets and activities (some cost money).
• StudyKit — Online Study Plans.
• SparkNotes — Study Guides and Practice Plans.
• Study.com — Online courses and practice problems.
• Typing.com — Online Typing pratice.
• WolframAlpha — Example problems for all subjects.
• FreeRice — Vocabulary Games.
• Google Classroom — Google Classroom Guardian Summary allows guardians of students to receive email summaries of the student’s work/updates through Google Classroom.

Math Support:

• A+ Math – Free math worksheets, games, flashcards, interactive activities, and “Homework Helper” for grades K-5.
• IXL Math – Questions, activities, and real-world scenarios for math students in grades Pre-K to 12.
• Math on Video – Instructional math videos featuring a variety of teachers explaining the same lesson in different ways.
• Math Portal – Lessons, formulas, online calculators and homework help for high school and college math students.
• Math Planet – Comprehensive math courses in Pre-algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2 and Geometry. Also includes prepared practice tests for the SAT and ACT.
• KutaSoftware – Customizable math worksheets.
• MathMedic – High School level math lesson plans/support.
• Desmos – Graphing Calculator and Geometry tool.

Literacy/ELA Support:

• Really Good Stuff – Designed for elementary age students, these reading sites are both free and kid-friendly.
• Book Adventure – Online collection of books for grades K-8. Includes easy search engine, offline use, and reading quizzes, and prizes.
• AdLit — All about Adolescent Literature.
• K-12 Interactive Reading – Links to free interactive reading sites and English Language Arts resources for grades K-12.

Language Support:

• Lingodeer — Language Learner tool.
• Duolingo — Language Learner tool with accompanying app.

Standardized Test Prep:

• MCAS Prep and Past MCAS Questions — Grades 3-12th; Math, ELA, Science, Civics.
• SAT Question of the Day — Daily SAT Prep.
• Kaplan — Daily SAT Prep.
• Collegeboard SAT Suite — SAT Study Guides; Practice Tests; Practice Problems
• Newsela — Reading Comp. Practice.
• Commonlit — Reading Comp. Practice.

Post-Graduation Prep:

• ASVAB — Career Exploration Resources.
• Collegewise — College Application Resources.

Interactive/Collaborative Tools:

• Miro — Interactive/Collaborative White Board.
• Figjam — Interactive/Collaborative White Board.
• LucidSpark — Interactive/Collaborative White Board.
• Padlet— Interactive/Collaborative Bulletin Board.
• Pear Decks— Interactive/Collaborative Slideshows.
• Kami— PDF Editor/Annotator.
• LightPDF— PDF Editor/Annotator.
• XODO— PDF Editor/Annotator.
• Omnisets— Online Flashcards.
• BrainScape— Online Flashcards.
• Quizlet— Online Flashcards.

• Introduction to Mentoring Toolkit for Mentors
• Independent Learning Support First Day Checklist for Mentors
• Mentors Working with Families: Beginning of Match
• Mentors Working with Families: Throughout the Match 
• Match Closure Presentation