School Based Mentoring Program – Partners in Routt County

January 10, 2017 By Steamboat Education Fund

Funding provided program support for the AmeriCorps School Based Mentoring Program placing 10 School Based Mentors in nine schools throughout Routt County to improve the academic performance of targeted students and promote positive youth development in the schools. Each Mentor works with 10 students, spending a minimum of one hour a week with each student for the duration of the school year. The mentoring model, intervention strategy centers on increasing adult bonding and academic engagement. Mentors also provide weekly in-school and after-school programming for all students in the schools, as well as annual service learning opportunities.

The Steamboat Springs Education Fund (SSEF) is a nonprofit, independent corporation that administers the proceeds of the half-cent sales tax—five cents on a $10 purchase. The half-cent city sales tax was originally approved by Steamboat voters in 1993 to fund “public K-12 educational purposes.” The tax was extended by voter approval in three subsequent elections. In 2009, voters extended the tax and expanded the purpose to share a portion of the proceeds of the tax with other Routt County public schools. Since 1993, more than $61M has been granted directly for public K-12 education in Routt County.