PROBLEM + FACTS
Black students aged 13–18 often face psychological barriers hindering academic performance and emotional well-being, including imposter syndrome, stereotype threat, low confidence, and lack of representation. These challenges lower motivation and discourage participation in advanced classes, extracurriculars, and STEM.
Mirr Mentors: Empowering Communities
THE FACTS SHOW IT
Black students are not enrolling in college-preparatory opportunities. Only 9% of Black students nationwide take at least one AP course, even though they make up 15% of the U.S. high school population. Similarly, a 2024 report highlights that while Black students show strong aptitude for STEM, they often lack exposure and role models to guide them into these fields.
Locally, this issue is magnified. In the 2022–2023 school year, the graduation rate for Black students in D.C. was 74.3%, compared to 97.6% for White students. Mental health disparities further widen this gap. Only 25% of Black Americans seek mental health treatment, compared to 40% of White Americans, and Black students are 600 times more likely to seek help in school settings than from external providers. Yet these school-based services are often underfunded or overburdened.
Without early, identity-affirming support systems such as a mentor, these students will continue to face disproportionate rates of academic disengagement, under-enrollment in college, and reduced career preparedness.
Our Mission
MIRR Mentors’ mission is to lift up Black students in D.C. public schools by helping them overcome the barriers that limit their academic, personal, and professional potential. Through mentorship, identity-affirming support, and hands-on exposure to advanced coursework, STEM, and career opportunities, we empower students to believe in themselves, pursue their educational goals, and create the future they deserve.
MIRR'S CORE GOALS
Mentorship
Many of our Howard mentors come from low-income communities and have navigated challenges like underfunded schools, family instability, or being first-generation college students, and are now pursuing higher education with purpose. Their journeys make them powerful role models who understand what our students are facing because they’ve lived it themselves. Through bi-weekly after-school sessions, mentors offer more than just encouragement. They lead structured workshops focused on academic success, goal-setting, and college preparation. They provide tutoring and study strategies. They also facilitate open conversations around mental health and wellness, and help students explore career paths through resume-building, mock interviews, and panels with Black professionals.
IDENTITY
Our programming affirms students’ cultural and personal identities through guided storytelling, self-reflection exercises, and discussions on topics like colorism, imposter syndrome, and representation. We understand that many students struggle with confidence tied to their identity, whether due to discrimination, colorism, “texturism”, or socio-economic challenges. Our program helps students build self-worth and show up confidently in academic spaces, fully embracing their potential
Resilience
Our goal is not to hold students’ hands forever, but to provide them with the support to stand on their own. Through emotional check-ins, coping skills workshops, and consistent mentor feedback, students build the capacity to manage academic stress, emotional challenges, and life transitions independently. We prioritize long-term self-sufficiency so students can face adversity with confidence, both in and beyond the classroom.
REPRESENTATION
We connect students with Black professionals in fields like STEM, law, business, and the arts. These panels and career-building workshops expand students’ perspectives and help them see themselves in positions of power, influence, and success. Exposure to real-world role models reinforces what’s possible and inspires these students to pursue ambitious goals.feedback, students build the capacity to manage academic stress, emotional challenges, and life transitions independently. We prioritize long-term self-sufficiency so students can face adversity with confidence, both in and beyond the classroom.