HOPE carries out our unique mission of college student mentorship for children with disabilities by operating several collegiate Service Chapters. These HOPE Service Chapters are chartered student organizations affiliated with colleges, and each Service Chapter is partnered with one or two special needs schools in their respective college’s local area. College students who are members of each HOPE Service Chapter are then paired one-on-one with children with special needs at their chapters’ HOPE partner schools. These HOPE volunteers—termed Hopesters by our Founder—then work weekly with their children with special needs in their own special needs school environments. Our Hopesters work individually to help their children with special needs achieve certain unique goals and objectives identified by their children’s Individualized Education Plans, or IEPs, which are prepared by special needs school teachers and staff.

As student organizations at specific colleges, each HOPE Service Chapter is completely led by college students. With this, however, comes the devoted support from HOPE to all HOPE Service Chapter Presidents and Leadership Teams. Currently this support involves detailed manuals about successfully establishing and leading HOPE Service Chapters. As HOPE grows and builds our network, however, additional resources may include financial grants to Service Chapters in addition to other general operating support.

To learn additional specific details about HOPE Service Chapters, please click here.