Bring Root 2 Rise to Your School

Root 2 Rise Onboarding Process

Root 2 Rise Connects with School Districts

Root 2 Rise partners with schools to place high school students in K-8 classrooms as academic tutors and behavioral mentors (Tutor-Mentors).

Tutor-Mentors Commit to the Program

After students complete a Root 2 Rise application, each school determines who is eligible to participate. Once selected, the students sign a rigorous contract committing to a leadership role.

School Districts Play a Vital Role

The High School and K-8 school Root 2 Rise Coordinators place the Tutor-Mentors in Partner Teacher classrooms.

Engagement + Reflection =
Tutor-Mentor Growth

Tutor-Mentors are required to set goals and complete reflections on their experience. Root 2 Rise requirements align with the competencies needed to earn the Employability Skills and/or Youth Leadership Certificates offered by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

Successful Completion

Students who successfully complete their contract in their K-8 classroom are granted a $750 stipend, earn credit towards graduation, and have an experience that develops them into leaders.

Graduation & Transition to Thrive

Our support for Tutor-Mentors doesn’t stop after their graduation. The Thrive program is dedicated to the success of our former Tutor-Mentors as they embark on their journey beyond high school. Using a holistic approach, Root 2 Rise provides resources and guidance to help students thrive.

 FAQs

  • We request that the high school teams choose the program participants. Our Tutor-Mentors typically meet some or all of the following criteria:

    • Disengaged from fully participating in school

    • Would benefit from being in a leadership role

    • Possibly interested in education as a career

    • First-generation college potential

  • There is no minimum number of students required to begin a pilot program. A good starting class is from 6-10 students but we will pilot a program with as few as two students in a school district.

  • The Partner Teacher hosts the Tutor-Mentor and directs their activities in the classroom. They meet with Root 2 Rise staff once at the beginning of the semester for orientation and once at the end to process and reflect. They are asked to make two positive phone calls home to the parent or guardian of their Tutor-Mentor sometime during the semester. They are also asked to fill out two reflective Google forms. We work closely with the Partner Teacher to verify that all Tutor-Mentors have the required 90 hours and have completed the skills necessary to be awarded the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Employability Skills Certificate and to fulfill their Root 2 Rise contract.

  • There is no cost to your district for the first semester of Root 2 Rise programming.

  • The Tutor-Mentors receive their stipend upon successful completion of the program at the end of the semester by direct deposit into their bank account. This amount may be prorated for partial completion. Any decision to prorate is made by the Partner Teacher and the High School and K-8 Coordinators with input from Root 2 Rise.

    For those students who do not have a bank account in their name, R2R holds an after-school seminar and brings in two banking institutions from your area to introduce youth bank accounts to the Tutor-Mentors and provide them the opportunity to open an account. We understand that some of our Tutor-Mentors may be undocumented, which can make it difficult to open bank accounts. For these Tutor-Mentors, we find workarounds to make sure they receive their stipends.