Students Helping Students
The Volunteers in Partnership program (VIP) connects DU students with Denver-area high school and middle school students, and it’s all about helping out.
The DU students work with younger students to help them stay in school, make the transition to college and build self esteem. DU students assist with everything from filling out college applications to giving peer advice.
The program is active in Denver’s Rishel Middle School, Denver West High School, Abraham Lincoln High School, Pinnacle Charter School and the Denver Center for International Studies. The program, which is housed in DU’s Special Community Programs office, has plans to expand to other schools in Denver and the surrounding area.
For many students who participate in VIP during middle or high school, it’s a very positive experience. In fact, some of them choose to apply to DU and get involved with VIP after they become students here.
"VIP has helped me in both high school and college. In high school, the VIP students made confusing topics such as college applications and resume writing much easier to approach. They put on workshops, gave use useful packets and offered to provide one-on-one assistance. In college, VIP was there to make sure I transitioned smoothly from high school to college."
"Middle and high school students should get involved with VIP because it offers great role models who went through similar situations. VIP also gives the students a great head start in college. ."
"What makes it succeed is the fact that all the programs are conducted by students who attended the schools we work with. The goal is for students to see us as role models and mentors, and that allows us to get our students to start thinking about college—even at the middle school level."
"VIP has benefited me tremendously. They have opened the doors of opportunity for me to start my college career. They are the reason I am actually at DU right now. Without their encouragement and motivation, I don’t know where I would be in my college career.'"
"A former VIP student helped me on my college application to DU, so I wanted to give back. Now, I’m the one helping students get to college."
Published on Nov. 26, 2007