Nonprofit Hopes to BUILD On Mentor Base In Oakland, Rockridge Schools

Adult mentors are needed to help propel undeserved teens towards innovation and higher education at Oakland Technical High School and other local schools.

Business United in Investing, Lending and Development (BUILD) partners with high schools to offer entrepreneurship programs to students in need in the Bay Area, Washington, D.C. and Boston. It is now recruiting volunteers to mentor high school students once-a-week for the full school year.

"A lot of our students are used to adults in their lives not being consistent," said Erin Brannan, North/West Oakland BUILD site director. Brannan runs the program at Oakland Technical High School. "We want the mentors…to change their ideas about what a role model could be in their lives," she said.

Mentors don't have to have a background in business, but it doesn't hurt, Brannder said. Mainly, it is important for mentors to be compassionate towards BUILD's mission of reaching at-risk youth.

BUILD students are recruited in the ninth grade. They enroll in a year-long elective class at their high school. During the year, they form small groups and develop business plans.

After graduating from the first year of BUILD, the students continue the program in after school sessions. During the four-year program, students develop a business plan (usually product-based), meet with venture capitalists for seed funding, work with graphic designers for product design development and eventually market and sell their products.

Mentors are expected to spend one and a half hours, once a week, meeting with students at the high school. BUILD is looking for volunteers to serve at a number of Oakland schools. Most of the sessions are from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Some sites in Oakland meet earlier in the afternoon.

In addition to long-term mentors, BUILD also uses short-term or one-time volunteer venture capitalists, graphic designers and other businesspeople for guidance.

For more information on the program, email BMentors@build.org.