Every student deserves someone in their corner, people who bring their whole selves to the table. That’s what Minds Matter Southern California’s community of volunteers is built on: people from every culture, career, age, and life experience, united by one belief: that every student deserves the chance to reach their full potential.
Explore volunteer opportunities in Los Angeles across academics, mentoring, emotional support, writing, advising, and leadership, every role contributing in its own way. Because showing up for a student doesn’t just change their story. It means being seen, supported, and celebrated yourself.
Someone helped you become who you are today. Now it’s your turn to be that person for someone else.
Show up for the work, and you’ll find yourself part of something bigger. A community of people who care the way you do.
You’ll walk in thinking you’re here to help. You’ll walk out changed in ways you didn’t see coming.
The best way to understand our community is to hear from the people already in it.
TANYA F.
Co-Director, Sophomores
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“Minds Matter is so much more than I anticipated. The breadth that the organization provides the students, the educational quality, the experience, and the passion and commitment of the volunteers are all exceptional.”
MELISA S.
Team Lead, Juniors – Alum 2016
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“I joined Minds Matter as a student, and the impact went far beyond. This program gives and gives. That’s why I came back, and why I stay, as an SEL Facilitator, showing up for students the way people once showed up for me.”
ANNE N.
Mentor
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“Although it’s quite a commitment, working with this organization has given me a sense of purpose and connection that I did not necessarily have in my other volunteering experiences.”
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JUSTIN B.
Mentor
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“Watching my mentee give a powerful speech at an award event, with me sitting alongside her family, was one of the most meaningful moments I’ve experienced.”
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Our students are driven, determined, and from low-income backgrounds, ready for college and ready to work for it. Maybe your background is similar to our students, navigating college applications, financial aid, and a path nobody in your family had walked before. Or maybe your path looked nothing like theirs at all. Either way, there’s a place for you here.
Ask any volunteer what Minds Matter really is, and you’ll hear the same word every time: community. Whoever you are, whatever path brought you, there’s a place waiting for you.
Our program runs on many different kinds of people doing many different kinds of work. Academics, mentoring, emotional support, writing, advising, logistics. If you’re looking for volunteer opportunities in Los Angeles, this is where every role contributes and helps write a student’s story.
Read the cards, find your fit, and take the next step.
Show up for your student, as part of a two-mentor team offering steady guidance on schoolwork, assignments, and the road ahead.
About 2.5 to 3 hours a week, mostly Saturday sessions plus a weekly check-in.
Leadership skills and personal development, plus a front-row seat to someone else’s growth.
Co-lead weekly listening circles where students find their voice and know that who they are is enough.
Saturdays for around 2 hours. Open to college students and recent graduates, including those earning clinical hours.
Trained facilitation skills and the practice of listening with an open, empathetic mind, useful well beyond Saturdays.
Support student/mentor teams as they navigate applications, opening the door to summer programs that can change what a student thinks is possible.
2–3 hours a week from September through May, with peak activity January through May and select Saturday sessions.
The satisfaction of watching a student open a door they didn’t know existed, and a role that puts your organizational strengths to real use.
Guide students through SAT prep with structure, strategy, and encouragement.
2 to 3 hours per week on Saturday mornings, plus some light prep. Academics and math enthusiasts alike are welcome.
The moment a student clears a hurdle that once felt impossible, and the reward of cheering them on to a stronger score.
Help students uncover and tell their authentic story, the kind that stands out in a college application.
Saturdays for 2 hours, with some remote check-ins, and more time needed as application season approaches.
A front-row seat to a student finding their voice, and the fulfilling feeling of watching them open that acceptance letter.
Help students uncover who they are, and guide them toward colleges where they can thrive, not just the most prestigious name on the list.
Ongoing throughout the school year, with Saturday and remote sessions, especially as application season approaches.
The reward of watching a student land their perfect-match acceptance and knowing they’ll define their college experience, not the other way around.
