Military school liaisons and family support staff can suggest a Blackburn mentor for a military-connected student who needs steady support through a move. Because mentoring is by video anywhere in the United States, the student keeps one dedicated mentor before, during and after a change of station. The family reaches out, and with the parent’s written permission the mentor coordinates with you and the school.
How video mentoring follows a student through a move
You help families understand schools, records and the interstate compact for military children. What no one can easily provide is the same adult checking in every week as the boxes get packed and the new school starts. A mentor can.
When orders come, almost everything in a student’s school life changes: the building, the schedule, the teachers, sometimes the graduation requirements. A video mentor is one of the few things that does not. What carries over from one duty station to the next:
- The same person. A mentor who already knows the student’s strengths, habits and history, so no one has to explain it again.
- The same weekly time. A session that stays on the calendar while packing, travel and temporary housing scramble everything else. Shorter sessions and text check-ins fill the gaps.
- The same goal list. Grades, college planning, a first job or independence, picked back up once the student is enrolled.
- The same updates for parents. Especially useful when one parent is deployed or away for training and the other is running the move alone.
In the first weeks at a new school, the mentor’s focus narrows to the basics: learning the new schedule, introducing themselves to each teacher, checking the grade portal and finding one activity to join.
Sessions are scheduled in the family’s local time zone, so a cross-country move does not change the relationship. See how virtual mentoring works.
How mentors coordinate with liaisons and schools
Nothing is shared without written permission from a parent or guardian, or from the student if 18 or older. With that permission, a mentor can:
- Help the student write down questions before meeting you or the new school counselor, and follow up on the answers each week
- Track open items the family is waiting on, such as a missing transcript or course placement decision
- Let you know if school is slipping in ways that may need your attention or the counselor’s
- Reinforce the plan the school sets for credits and graduation
The mentor stays in their role. Placement, credits, graduation and compact questions stay with you, the school and the state’s compact contacts. The mentor does not represent the family in IEP or 504 meetings; see our IEP and 504 plan guide. Our family guide to military kids changing schools explains the paperwork side.
Students who often benefit
- Students moving during junior or senior year, when graduation requirements and college applications are on the line
- Students arriving mid-year who need to catch up quickly (see switching schools mid-year)
- Students with an IEP or 504 plan who need help using their supports at a new school
- Teens with a parent deployed or away for training, where routines have loosened
- Students thinking about ROTC, a service academy or enlisting (see ROTC vs service academy)
What a mentor does not do
- No placement or credit decisions. Those stay with schools and the compact process.
- No tutoring. The mentor helps the student use the school’s academic help.
- No advocacy or legal advice. Special education disputes and compact appeals go through the proper channels.
- No clinical care. If a student is struggling emotionally, a licensed professional is the right step, and military family support resources can help find one. In a crisis, call or text 988.
How a family gets started
- Suggest it. Share our number, (888) 305 5422, or the five-minute assessment with the family.
- The family reaches out. Our team reviews every assessment personally.
- Free intro call. For high school students, a parent or guardian is always on the call and helps agree the goals.
- Matching. The student is matched with one dedicated mentor, weekly or several times a week, with text and phone contact between sessions.
- Updates. Parents get regular progress updates. With written permission, the mentor can coordinate with you and the school.
Mentoring is arranged with the family. Steps are also on our refer a student page.
Where a mentor helps
The best fit is a student whose school life keeps resetting with every move. See mentoring for military families, our page for school counselors, how parent updates work and all of our pages for education professionals.
Related
- For education professionals
- Mentoring for military families
- Military kids changing schools
- High school transcript explained
Common questions
Can the same mentor continue after a move?
Yes, anywhere in the United States. Sessions are by video and scheduled in the family’s local time zone.
Will the mentor contact our office directly?
Only after a parent or guardian, or a student who is 18 or older, gives written permission.
Does the mentor help with the interstate compact?
No. Compact questions belong to liaisons, schools and the state’s compact contacts. The mentor helps the student follow through on what they decide.
Does mentoring cover younger children?
Our mentoring for students starts in high school, with parents involved, and extends to college students and young adults.
Get started
Supporting a military family through a move? Call (888) 305 5422, email contact@blackburnmentoring.com or start with a short assessment. A member of our team reviews every assessment personally and sets up a free intro call.