KEEP ENCOURAGING YOUTH TOWARD SUCCESS
Being a KEYS Mentor
The Power of One - One mentor, one student, one hour per week
KEYS brings adult role models into Katy ISD schools to motivate, encourage and inspire students on the brink of success. Mentors meet with their student on campus at a pre-designated time each week. As mentor and student build their relationship, they decide together how to spend their mentoring time. Whether spent playing games, reading or just talking, that one hour a week makes a tremendous difference in the life of a child.
To be a KEYS Mentor, you need ~
- A belief in the potential of every child
- Criminal history background check in compliance with the FCRA
(English | Spanish)
- One hour per week to spend with a child, on campus during the school day, during the school year
- Participation in a brief campus KEYS orientation before you begin
- Successful completion of a KEYS application and subsequent approval process
(English | Spanish)
The KEYS Scholarship Program
Katy ISD’s KEYS mentor program, an initiative for children on the brink of success, offers scholarships to graduating students who have participated in KEYS for at least two years. The scholarship fund is solely supported by corporate sponsorships and the community.
The KEYS Scholarship application is accompanied by:
- an essay outlining personal goals and academic plans
- a copy of the student’s transcript
- letters of recommendation from school administrators, teachers, the student’s mentor and individuals who know the student (pastor, youth leader, employer, etc.).
Applications are reviewed by Katy ISD administrators and community leaders who give each a numerical score. Scoring criteria includes the:
- application’s presentation
- student essay
- academic goals
- letters of recommendation
- GPA
- financial need
KEYS Scholarships are administered through Partners in Education and the Katy ISD Business Office.
- Payment is made directly to the institution where the student is enrolled.
- If tuition is less than the totality of the scholarship, only that amount is sent to the school. The remaining balance may be used the following semester.
Since its inception in 2006, a total of $25,000 has been awarded in scholarships, allowing KEYS alumni to further their education as far away as a cinematic makeup school in Hollywood and as close to home as Houston Community College and St. Thomas University.
For more information contact Marth Brown with Katy ISD Partners in Education at 281-396-2468.