RCE Greater Atlanta - 2024

RCE GA Mentorship Program
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
RCE GA Mentorship Program
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Greater Atlanta
Contributing organization(s) : 
RCE Greater Atlanta members Georgia Tech, KSU, Agnes Scott, Emory, Georgia State University, etc. and many sustainability professionals in the area.
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Adair Garrett
Organizational Affiliation: 
Georgia Tech
E-mail: 
adairgarrett@gatech.edu
Name: 
Scott Sadler
Organizational Affiliation: 
Boardwalk Capital Management
E-mail: 
scott@boardwalkcm.com
Format of project: 
Powerpoint
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
Web link: 
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qazJHPQe8xokOW5wotKEbUORXA2tiijnfF9D3SMJMR0/edit?usp=sharing
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
No
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Americas
Country: 
United States
Location(s): 
Greater Atlanta Area (& one online pair from California & Salisbury)
Address of focal point institution for project: 
Georgia Institute of Technology
Ecosystem(s):

Target Audience:
Community, Higher, Youth (Informal)
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
Atlanta is currently a city riddled with wealth and income inequality, particularly affecting communities of color, where 80% of African-American children reside in high-poverty areas compared to only 6% of their white peers. Historical divisions in housing, schools, and zoning perpetuate these disparities. The city's rapid development can also affect the environment, causing potential issues with reduced greenery, increased pollution, flooding, and soil erosion. Despite being an economic hub, Atlanta is marked by racial segregation, concentrated poverty, gentrification, and displacement, and has one of the lowest social mobility rates for its poorest population. It also ranks poorly in terms of income inequality, energy burden, gentrification, traffic, and air quality.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
In Atlanta, there are water, transportation, equity, and race issues that are constantly shaping the political field and the community. The RCE GA already works to address those issues, but the mentorship program works to bring those issues to something that can be addressed on the local level through one-on-one interactions between experienced mentors and passionate students.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Rationale: 
The project hopes to “lift up” students in underserved populations and help to “level the playing field” in the pursuit of post-graduation employment. Transitioning from school to employment can be traumatic, and one is not born ready to be “an employee”. Through regular discussions with executives and business leaders, our hope is to create a cohort that is more prepared for this transition, is more successful in gaining employment, and is more valuable to their employers, thereby creating a more stable employment situation for employee and employer.
Objectives: 
The RCE mentorship program localizes the UN SDGs quality education, gender equality, decent work, and reduced inequalities by sharing professional development opportunities (sustainability conferences, seminars, workshops, internships, jobs) and by recruiting mentees from all backgrounds with strong efforts being made to have at least 50% women and 50% students of color participating in the mentorship program.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
The Mentorship Program is open to all college students in the Greater Atlanta area. To enhance our commitment to inclusivity, we actively recruit minority students and strive to ensure that at least half of our mentees are from minority backgrounds. The program connects college students with local business managers, non-profit executives, and academic sector leaders, emphasizing those from diverse backgrounds.

Participants will engage in a structured mentorship scheme designed to facilitate discussions and interactions between mentors and mentees (M/M). Topics covered will include goal setting, coursework, career paths, cover letter and resume writing, networking, business interaction, and phone etiquette. Monthly engagements will be scheduled by the M/M pairs and will take place via phone or video conference.
Size of academic audience: 
100-200
Results: 
We expect that mentor/mentee engagement will result in a higher placement percentage of students into full time position post-graduation (versus their colleges as a whole.) Students in the program will benefit from a superior life-long earnings trajectory. Colleges will benefit from placement of their students, post-graduation. Executives will benefit from increased recruiting as well as insights into the behaviors and attitudes of younger generation consumers.

This project will also achieve three major RCE GA goals, including:

Advance SDG Knowledge & Action: The project is focused on SDG 8 (Decent Work), SDG 10(Reduced Inequalities) SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality). We have clear objectives to engage young women and student of color, to enhance their education, connect it with the objectives of the business/employer community and enhance the likelihood of students achieving their long-term employment goals.

Model Inclusive & Collaborative Community: The project seeks to connect students of all backgrounds at all colleges and universities in the Atlanta region. It also seeks a diverse group of mentors to engage students in a variety of ways in many areas of interest and overlap.

Nurture Strong Youth Leadership: We are hoping to provide opportunities for students to lead this program over the long term. Currently, RCE Mentorship Student Recruiters currently are acting as liaison between the project Co-Leads and Spelman, Emory, GSU, and KSU (current universities involved through student recruiters).
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
Other UN initiatives include the RCE Americas Conference and the Millennium Campus Network Fellowship; these opportunities will be advertised to the mentors and mentees.

Furthermore, it relates directly to the other Action Groups within the RCE Greater Atlanta, including the HELC (who can provide mentors) as well as the group that will host Marvelous Mondays; RCE Mentorship Recruiters will send these opportunities out to their student networks and their faculty networks.
Funding: 
There is no funding for this project.
Update: 
No
I acknowledge the above: 
Yes