Blackburn Mentoring gives Manhattan Beach students one dedicated mentor who helps them plan the week, build routines and follow through, by video or in person in Los Angeles. For high school students a parent can join the free 20 minute intro call, agree the goals and get regular updates. Mentors do not tutor or promise grades; they help a capable student run a very full schedule without everything depending on a parent’s reminders.
The school picture in Manhattan Beach
Manhattan Beach has its own public school system, the Manhattan Beach Unified School District, so most local students move through the same schools with the same classmates from kindergarten on. The district enrolled 5,905 students in 2025 to 2026 according to Ed-Data, the K to 12 data partnership that includes the California Department of Education. Families who choose an independent or parochial school elsewhere in the South Bay or on the Westside add a commute to the day, and a mentor helps plan around it.
It is a family town with an unusually educated adult population. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24.6% of residents are under 18 (the county figure is 19.2%), and 78.9% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, more than double the Los Angeles County rate of 36.0% (American Community Survey, 2020 to 2024). Students here tend to grow up surrounded by adults who went to college, and the expectations that come with that arrive early.
What Manhattan Beach students bring to a mentor
- Overbooked weeks. Club and school sports, beach and water sports, honors and AP classes and a job or volunteer hours, with no single plan that holds it all. A mentor builds one weekly calendar and protects sleep.
- The middle school to high school jump. More teachers, more online portals and longer assignments. Mentors teach the executive function skills behind it: starting, estimating time and breaking big projects into steps.
- Student athletes. Practice and travel weekends eat the time homework used to fill. See mentoring for student athletes.
- Junior year planning. Course choices, the University of California and California State University A to G subject requirements and a summer plan. Our junior year guide walks through the calendar.
- Confidence after a slip. A capable student who falls behind for the first time often hides it. A mentor makes it safe to say so and builds a recovery plan with dates.
Keeping parents in the loop without the nightly argument
In a town where most parents know the system well, the hardest part is often stepping back. A mentor becomes the person who asks what is due and what got done, so the conversation at home can be about something else. Parents agree the goals on the intro call and receive regular progress updates. When the family wants it, the mentor coordinates with the school counselor or learning specialist so everyone is working from the same plan.
In person or by video from Manhattan Beach
Our team is based in Los Angeles. Afternoon traffic on Sepulveda Boulevard and the 405 can turn a short drive into a long one, so many South Bay families use video for school night sessions and meet in person in Los Angeles when it helps, at a convenient, appropriate place agreed on the intro call. Early morning, evening and weekend times are available around practice schedules.
How to start
- Take a short assessment. Tell us about your student and the goals. It takes about five minutes.
- Have a free 20 minute intro call. For high school students, a parent is welcome to join. We talk through fit, schedule and how your student would meet.
- Meet the mentor. New clients are matched with one mentor within two business days.
- Start the plan. 60 minute sessions, weekly or several times a week, with text and phone check ins between them.
Planning the school year? Our 2026 to 2027 school year calendar for Los Angeles families collects the UC and CSU application windows, SAT dates, AP exams and financial aid deadlines in one place.
Related
- Mentoring in the South Bay
- Mentoring on the Palos Verdes Peninsula
- Mentoring in Torrance
- Mentoring for high school students
- Executive function coaching
- All Los Angeles County areas
- Mentoring in Redondo Beach
- Mentoring in El Segundo
Common questions
Do you work with students in Manhattan Beach public schools and independent schools?
Yes. We work with students in public, independent and parochial schools, and with college students home in the South Bay. The goals and the plan are the same; only the calendar changes.
Is this tutoring or test prep?
No. Mentors help with planning, routines, follow through and confidence. If a student needs help with course content, a tutor is the right fit, and a mentor can work alongside one.
Can sessions fit around club sports?
Yes. Mentors offer early morning, evening and weekend sessions, and video sessions work well on travel weekends.
How involved are parents?
For high school students a parent can join the intro call, agree the goals and get regular updates. The student still owns the weekly plan, which is the point.
Get started
Looking for a mentor for a student in Manhattan Beach? 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 20 minute intro call.
Free, by video, 20 minutes, with a member of our team. Weekdays 9 to 5 Pacific.