PACE Parent Partner Academy

Help a parent support the journey—without taking it over.

Parent Partners are trained volunteers who help parents and guardians navigate the transition to supporting a college student. The relationship is parent-to-parent, grounded in encouragement, privacy, and student independence.

Apply to become a Parent Partner PACE for families

Support the parent. Respect the student. Strengthen the family.

Listen • encourage • refer • protect

A different kind of mentoring

Experience becomes a bridge for another family.

Parent Partners may have supported a student through enrollment, housing, financial-aid questions, homesickness, changing majors, setbacks, persistence, or graduation. They share perspective—not prescriptions.

Parent-to-parent

Help another parent communicate, encourage, and adjust to a college student’s growing independence.

Trained and supervised

Complete Parent Partner Foundations, screening, staff approval, and ongoing program expectations before matching.

Privacy by design

No student portal access, grades, records, mentor messages, private requests, or direct student contact.

What Parent Partners can do

Normalize the transition and strengthen healthy support.

Listen without judgment
Share practical lessons from lived experience
Help parents prepare respectful conversations
Explain common college-transition terminology
Encourage use of campus and RDCF resources
Recognize when staff or qualified professionals should help

What the role never includes

Contacting or advising the college student
Viewing student records or portal activity
Providing legal, clinical, academic, or financial advice
Handling emergencies or investigating concerns
Moving communication to personal channels
Guaranteeing outcomes or speaking for RDCF

Parent Partner application

Tell us how your experience could encourage another family.

Selecting the Parent Partner track routes your application into the Academy pathway. Application does not guarantee approval or placement.

1 About you2 Experience3 Support track4 Commitment5 References

1 About you

First nameLast nameEmail addressPhone numberCity and stateEmployer or organization OptionalJob title or professional role Optional

2 Experience and motivation

Describe your experience supporting a college student or navigating the college-family transition.Why do you want to encourage another parent or guardian?Where could you be most helpful?

3 Mentoring preference

Tell us where your interests and experience are strongest. Staff will approve the final track before any match is made.

Who are you interested in supporting? Select all that applyHigh School Rising ScholarsCollege readiness, confidence, planning, and accountabilityCollegiate CommunityPersistence, campus navigation, career readiness, and graduationPACE Parent PartnerParent-to-parent encouragement with no student access

High school grade preferenceNot applicableGeographic preferenceMaximum number of parent matchesRelevant experience for your preferred track

4 Availability and commitment

Typical availabilityCommunication preference

5 Professional or personal references

Provide two adults who can speak to your character, reliability, or experience. Please obtain their permission before listing them.

Reference 1Reference 2Anything else we should know? Optional

Screening happens later

This form does not collect a Social Security number, date of birth, driver’s-license number, or background-check documents. Selected candidates will receive separate instructions for secure screening.

Applications are reviewed by authorized program staff.