MENTOR Partners with Creative Artists Agency (CAA), VolunteerMatch, and AmeriCorps on “READY SET” Campaign to Recruit Volunteers Nationwide to Mentor, Tutor, or Serve
June 3, 2021
Initiative Launched with Department of Education and Corporate Brand Partners to Reconnect Students with Personalized Supports after the Pandemic
Advisors and Charter Partners: U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel A. Cardona, Arianna Huffington and Thrive Global, Mattel, Cumulus Media, Nextdoor, DonorsChoose, Van Jones’ Dream Corps, Former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Sal Khan, and schoolhouse.world
To reconnect K-12 public school students across the U.S. with personalized supports following the pandemic, the Creative Artists Agency Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education, in collaboration with MENTOR, VolunteerMatch, schoolhouse.world, and the federal agency for national service and volunteering AmeriCorps, announced READY SET, a national tutor, mentor, and service recruitment campaign. The web and social media campaign will run through September 2021 and meet summer extended learning needs by building a strong volunteer pipeline for the academic year ahead.
“This is the perfect moment to join forces with our national partners to increase meaningful engagement with our young people and our schools, said David Shapiro, CEO, MENTOR. “As we process and move forward from the loss and disruption of the pandemic, we can meet this moment of reinvention by providing students with the personalized supports that will fuel their growth and identity as they navigate their way forward. We are grateful to be a part of this powerful call to action and to mobilize more Americans to mentor through quality programs across the nation.”
Through partnerships with consumer brands and leading live entertainment and travel benefits provider Entertainment Benefits Group (EBG), new volunteers will gain access to exclusive incentives in recognition for providing guidance to students across America. Brand partners will additionally use their powerful voices to amplify campaign messages.
“We have a critical opportunity to immediately address the gap between what students need now and what resources are available to them,” said CAA Foundation executive and former drop-out prevention nonprofit director Deborah Marcus. “READY SET is a call to action to be a part of a national student support network, galvanizing Americans to bring their hearts and minds to supporting children, many from low-income and historically marginalized communities, and nurturing their full academic, social and emotional well-being.”
“Students have been stuck behind their laptops for the better part of a year, so we must dedicate as many resources as possible to meet them where they are and re-engage them this summer and as we look towards the fall,” said Secretary Cardona. “Through this new program and partnership, we have the opportunity to reach students across the country – particularly those in communities hardest hit by the pandemic – and provide them the support they need through creative, engaging mentoring programs. I encourage anyone who can to step up and serve their community to take part in this program and mentor a young student.”
READY SET’s web and social-media-centered campaign will raise awareness of the current demand for volunteers, directing candidates to www.getreadyset.org, where potential volunteers can learn about relevant mentoring, tutoring, and service opportunities. Depending on one’s interest, activation happens through MENTOR, VolunteerMatch, AmeriCorps, or peer tutoring platform schoolhouse.world.
The READY SET advisory board of prominent education and philanthropic thought leaders include U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel A. Cardona; former U.S. education secretary Arne Duncan; Dream Corps founder and CNN contributor Van Jones; founder of online education platform Khan Academy and co-founder of schoolhouse.world Sal Khan; Thrive Global Founder and CEO Arianna Huffington; former Chancellor of the D.C. Public School System and Founder and CEO of Reconstruction, Kaya Henderson; Education Leaders of Color CEO Sharhonda Bossier; MENTOR CEO David Shapiro; DonorsChoose CEO Charles Best; and CAA Co-Chairman Richard Lovett.
Brand and nonprofit supporters include the Annenberg Learner; television host, author, and changemaker Van Jones’ Dream Corps; hyperlocal social networking service Nextdoor; the leading global toy and family entertainment company Mattel; audio-first media and entertainment company Cumulus Media; education nonprofit DonorsChoose; behavior change technology company Thrive Global; nonprofit Education Leaders of Color; global volunteer organization Points of Light; children’s literacy nonprofit Reading Partners; education non-profit Communities In Schools, Inc., and creative partner RADCAT.design.
READY SET Website: www.getreadyset.org
Campaign Hashtag: #GetReadySet
Instagram: @get_ready_set
Twitter: @get_readyset