Fort Bend ISD wants adults from Missouri City, Stafford and surrounding communities to spend 30 to 45 minutes a week with a student this school year through its UPLIFT Mentor Program.
The district is recruiting both community volunteers and its own staff to mentor students across all grade levels, with sessions taking place during school hours. Mentoring is expected to begin at the end of September, depending on the assigned campus.
At the elementary level, mentors read books and provide academic support. At the secondary level, they offer general guidance. Community mentors are matched with students based on campus needs, while district employees focus on social-emotional growth and literacy in collaboration with campus teams.
The district cited research from mentoring.org showing students with mentors are 52% less likely to skip school, 78% more likely to volunteer and 130% more likely to hold leadership roles.
How to sign up
Prospective mentors must complete three steps, according to the district's program page:
- Fill out the Mentor Interest Form online.
- Submit a Volunteer Criminal History Application (available since July 1).
- Attend a mentor training session. Training invitations were expected in mid-August and should be going out now.
No deadline is listed.
The program is administered through FBISD's Collaborative Communities department.
Fort Bend ISD posted the recruitment call on X on Monday, Aug. 24, calling for community members and district staff to help students succeed. The district's Collaborative Communities Facebook page has been promoting the program since mid-August.
The 2026-27 school year began Aug. 11 and runs through May 27, 2027. The district is also conducting a boundary survey that could shift up to 1,561 students between campuses, as we reported Aug. 24.
Residents interested in mentoring can visit fortbendisd.com/mentor to fill out the interest form. Sessions are expected to begin at the end of September.
