MMBay is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing access to important college prep resources and shaping the mindsets of low-income high school students to prepare them for college success. The 3-year MMBay program focuses on supporting these students with the discovery, planning, and readiness needed to get into great colleges and succeed.

In the instructional program, MMBay offers students math, reading, writing and critical thinking support needed to do well on the ACT and SAT. In the mentoring program, each student is matched with a pair of mentors dedicated to providing individualized support to help them navigate the complex college preparation and admissions process.

Minds Matter of Bay Area is a 100% volunteer-led, educational non-profit that provides low-income students access to strong mentors, instructors and leaders, who help broaden their worldview and prepare them for college and beyond. There are three objectives of our program:

Discovery: self-knowledge, self-determination, and self-expression to help students understand and advocate for themselves, their wants and needs.

Planning: high school, college, and financial plans to ensure that students are taking on experiences that build their character and better prepare them for college.

Readiness: academic, psychological and social readiness to help students not just get into college, but thrive.

Students join us as Sophomores, where they build up their academic foundations in math, science, reading, writing and critical thinking, and start the process of self-discovery, planning the rest of their high school experience and learning basic psychological and social skills that give them an early taste of college and their options for their futures.

As Juniors, our students take a strong focus on academic test-prep readiness and go much more deeply into college exploration, including narrowing down their focus for future colleges, majors, and careers.

During the summers after their sophomore and junior years, we support our students with finding summer programs at top colleges around the country. These experiences are important for giving them a taste of college life and increasing the likelihood of college persistence.

Finally, as Seniors, our students focus heavily on showcasing their best selves in their college applications and learning more key skills that will ensure that they don’t just graduate from college, but that they are ready and thrive. We also support them with learning about both traditional and creative ways of paying for college, so that finances don't become a barrier to considering a great school.

We’re looking for volunteers to help us with every part of this program from classroom instruction to mentoring to managing programs. At the heart of our organization are people committed to making an impact in education and these students’ lives.

At Minds Matter, our mentees come first, but our strong community comes in at a close second. Many of our volunteers form lasting friendships and embark on new endeavors together. Whether we’re discussing the latest trends in education over dinner or picnicking in Golden Gate Park, our community knows how to get things done and have fun while doing it.

Our students are low-income students with demonstrated motivation who attend high school in the San Francisco Bay Area. They live in various cities in the Bay Area, including San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose. They are of a variety of backgrounds and ethnicities, but are typically the first generation in their family to go to college.

On the volunteer side, our team is comprised of over 300 mentors, instructors, and other volunteers who represent a diverse background of experiences and commitment to service. Learn more about our volunteers by reading their stories here

Session for Minds Matter Bay Area take place on Saturdays from 10:00 AM–2:30 PM. Each site holds in-person session in a different, central location of their city, accessible by public transportation.

Instructional Program (10:00 AM–12:00 PM)
The instructional component of our programs is designed to equip students with the knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary for achieving academic success at school and in their standardized tests. Our instructors serve as guides and role models for our students, encouraging them to deepen their knowledge base and to enjoy the process of learning. Instructors take on a variety of different roles in our organization: leading a class of 3-4 students (on average) on a subject area, tutoring for the SAT/ACT, and developing and delivering workshops on close reading, critical thinking, and statement writing skills for our students and their mentors. We will work with you to find a role that best fits your skills and experience.

Mentoring Program (12:30 PM–2:30 PM)
Each student is matched with two mentors, who work closely to help their student become well-rounded and navigate the college experience from application to graduation. Mentors work with their students to explore different majors and career paths and learn a variety of skills, like writing resumes and personal statements, managing time and stress, and presenting and discussing a perspective. Our mentors serve as positive role models and catalysts for the students, encouraging them to fulfill their full potential.

Minds Matter Bay Area has developed a structured curriculum for both its instruction and mentoring programs. This allows instructors, mentors, and pod leaders to engage with mentees each session using a curricular framework designed intentionally with a three-year learning arc. During mentoring sessions, pod leaders will present this content, facilitate group conversations, and share topics for mentors to discuss with their mentees. This provides consistency and support for both the mentees and volunteers in our program—and it helps Minds Matter Bay Area to run efficiently week over week and year over year.

Click to our role descriptions to see our volunteer requirements and preferences.

Please see the Volunteer Commitment section of our role descriptions for expectations around time commitment.

Our students are all high-achieving public high school students from low-income families (who qualify for free or reduced lunch plans). They are typically the first in their family to attend college.

The last few years, our mentees have been admitted to and attended the following summer programs (partial list):

Boston University

Brown University

BlueStamp Engineering—San Francisco

California College of the Arts

George Washington University

Girls Who Code

Harvard University

Johns Hopkins University

Northwestern University

Phillips Academy Andover

Rosetta Institute of Biomedical Research—Berkeley

Skidmore College

Stanford University

University of California, Berkeley

University of California, Los Angeles

University of Michigan

Yale University

If we’ve done our job well, they are off to start their journey in college with a great financial plan that will support them until they graduate. We have an alumni program that aims to continue supporting our students with internship and career advice. Many of our mentors and students also stay in contact and maintain the relationship even after the student has started college.

While we don’t provide high-touch weekly tutoring and mentoring after they graduate, we do support our student alumni via a variety of initiatives:

Annual MMBay reunions bringing together former students and mentors

Annual alumni panels to share our alumni wisdom with current students

Internship opportunities for alumni to apply to

Connecting alumni with current volunteers for Q&A on college and career advice

Semi-annual check-ins to gauge alumni sentiment and areas of assistance

Local SF Bay Area office visits

National Minds Matter Alumni LinkedIn group for webinars and articles to help with life after high school

MMBay-only network group for students to stay in touch with each other and their mentors

MMBay is built off of the dedication of its volunteers, and our volunteers often extend their involvement above and beyond their core responsibilities. As an almost 100% volunteer-led organization, we also highly encourage volunteers get more involved. Opportunities we have offered in the past include:

Committees to help with volunteer recruiting, student recruiting, campus visits, alumni career development, etc

Translating and interpreting for parents and guardians

Being a guest speakers for college, major, and career panels

Here at MMBay, students come first and community comes right after. MMBay is a group of professionals who want to make a difference in the San Francisco community. In addition to the direct impact they make on our students, our volunteers develop long-lasting friendships with fellow volunteers. In the past, our volunteers have gone on to become roommates, colleagues, and even Y-Combinator startup founders together! As a group of successful professionals, MMBay has a strong network and can benefit both your personal and professional endeavors.

Past social events have included:

MMBay’s Annual Gala

Dinner with Strangers, a fun way to meet people in different classes or teams

Annual Napa trip

SoulCycle

Picnics

Happy hours

In addition to planned social events, volunteers often organize their own informal social events. All social events are optional.