For Youth

Team Up Mentoring Program

You can make the difference in the life of a child.

Contact Us

Our Program

About the Program

Team Up is an award-winning youth mentoring program that began in 2008. Youth are paired with positive adult role models who commit to spending several hours per week for at least one year with their mentees with the goal of forming a trusting friendship that helps set the youth on a successful path to adulthood.

Seeking a Mentor for a Child?

Our youth mentoring program, Team Up, believes all youth have the potential to succeed, and caring adults can help make that happen.
Usually a parent, guardian or teacher will reach out to us requesting a mentor for a young person in their family. We match youth between the ages of 6-17 who need a positive role model in their lives with adult volunteers aged 20 and up. Youth and mentors in our program all live in the South Hampton Roads community. For more information about enrolling a child in the program, please click here.

What Makes Us Different

Our team mentoring program has also proven effective in redirecting young people toward a healthy and productive future.

Mentors make a commitment to spending time with their mentees for at least one year. Our mentor/mentee matches enjoy playing basketball, fishing, watching movies, playing video and board games, sporting events, baking and cooking, making crafts, and attending Team Up group activities together.

Our mentors are carefully selected, and they want to make a positive difference in the life of their mentees. They provide one on one support and encouragement to their mentees weekly to ensure that they are consistent in their efforts. Today, we have a waiting list of more than 100 children in our community who are hoping to be matched with a caring mentor.

Our Impact

Having a mentor present in a young person’s life can reduce risk factors for negative behaviors. It also fosters greater communication skills and helps develop healthy and stable relationships with families, peers, caregivers and teachers. Team Up has created more than 650 mentor/mentee matches since 2008.

In 2023,

97% of youth mentees
showed positive changes in Academic Performance, Behavior, and/or Psychological & Social Behavior.

93% of our matches
were matched for a year or more or were on target to reach their one-year anniversary.

True Stories

“Any time spent with her mentor is her favorite! She has been the best addition our family could have ever asked for!”

—Team Up Parent

“Ms. Tina is kind, spontaneous, bubbly, independent, intelligent, and optimistic.”

—Team Up Mentee Tyliyah

Enroll a Child

Is my child eligible?

We match youth between the ages of 6-17 who need a positive role model in their lives with adult volunteers aged 20 and up.

If you’d like to enroll a child in Team Up Mentoring, please complete the form below:

Your Name

First

Last

Address

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Home Phone Number:

Work Phone Number:

Best Time to Call:

By signing up, you agree to receive occasional emails from The Up Center about news, events, and updates. You can unsubscribe at any time. We respect your privacy and will never share your information without your consent.

Name of Child

First

Last

Relationship to Child

Referral Source

Name of Referral

First

Last

Checkboxes

Yes, I would like to receive communications from The Up Center.

How did you hear about us?

Questions or Comments:

Additional Information

How do youth spend time with their mentor?

Mentors and youth can decide together what they are going to do each time they meet. Some examples of activities our matches enjoy doing together include: reading a book, playing video games, listening to music, gardening, cooking, playing cards or board games, working on an arts and crafts project, fishing, bike riding, playing basketball, discussing the latest sports scene, working on the computer, writing a resume or a college application, reading online employment ads, learning a musical instrument, studying a foreign language, and discussing career options or plans for after high school.

What to expect in the match process:

Team Up follows quality guidelines and standards of excellence in mentoring. Each prospective mentor goes through a selection process in order to be chosen for this worthwhile and honored role. It includes completion of an application to become a mentor, employment reference checks, an inquiry about a mentor’s interests, character reference and a criminal background check. We also require proof of outstanding driving records and a check with the child abuse registry. These procedures begin a process to match interested individuals with youth who have enrolled in the program.

Meet the Team

Sharon Reams, LCSW

Director of Youth Services

Sharon (she/her) is the Director of Youth Services at The Up Center. She oversees the Foster Care & Adoptions program as well as the Team Up youth mentoring program. She has been with The Up Center since 2005. In addition to her role as director, she currently sees Outpatient clients on a limited basis, both in person in the Ghent office and via telehealth. She is trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy and TF-CBT (Trauma Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). She is a native of Hampton Roads and is dedicated to helping and giving back to her community.

Jessica Simmons

Team Up Program Supervisor

Jessica is the Supervisor for Team Up Mentoring. Jessie has been with The Up Center since 2018 and has a passion for helping others become resilient in healing from trauma and abuse. She has a heart for the youth in our community and their future.

Rebecca Miller

Team Up Program Supervisor

Rebecca is the Supervisor for Team Up Mentoring. Becca has been with The Up Center since 2021. She finds joy in providing support to both children and volunteers, creating meaningful mentoring matches, and nurturing their growth and success.

Melissa Butler

Match support Specialist

Melissa is the Mentor Match Specialist. She became a part of Team Up in February 2025. She enjoys the opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a young person’s life by connecting them with a caring mentor. Seeing those relationships grow and knowing that she’s helping to create a support system that encourages confidence, growth, and hope for the future is incredibly rewarding.

Become a Mentor

Is Mentoring Right for Me?

Have you considered becoming a mentor? You do not have to have a background in teaching or youth development to be a good mentor. You just have to care, be a good listener and offer support and encouragement. Other helpful qualities are patience, consistency, reliability, tolerance, and a good sense of humor! We ask that you spend at least one hour a week with your mentee and commit for at least a year. The Up Center provides extensive training and support for mentors and we arrange regular group activities for program participants. Mentoring is a volunteer activity.

Adults who have mentored a young person frequently report improved morale, learning more about themselves and their values, and gaining a fresh perspective on their lives.

Today, we have a waiting list of more than 400 children in our community who are hoping to be matched with a caring mentor.

Our Mission

We are committed to partnering with children, families, and communities to improve lives and outcomes through prevention, intervention, and support services.

To submit an application to become a mentor please complete the information below:

Name

First

Last

Address

Address Line 1

Address Line 2

City

State

Zip Code

Home Phone Number:

Work Phone Number:

Best Time to Call:

How did you hear about us?

Questions or Comments:

Additional Information

Orientations are held the third Wednesday of every month for those interested in becoming a mentor.

How do I spend time with my mentee?

What to expect in the match process:

Team Up follows quality guidelines and standards of excellence in mentoring. Each prospective mentor goes through a selection process in order to be chosen for this worthwhile and honored role. It includes completion of an application, employment reference checks, an inquiry about a mentor’s interests, character references and a criminal background check. We also require proof of outstanding driving records and a check with the child abuse registry. These procedures begin a process to match interested individuals with youth who are waiting for your support.

Program Contacts

VIEW TEAM

Location: 1805 Airline Blvd, Portsmouth, VA 23707 Phone: (757) 337-3414 Fax: (757) 399-3316 Email: teamupmentoring@theupcenter.org

How You Can Help

Team Up is funded 100% by community contributions. Your donation will make all the difference in the life of a child who is seeking guidance and support. Donations to support program activities are also needed, including:

Tickets to sporting events
Passes to Latitude Climbing and Fitness, Go Ape, Busch Gardens, Color Me Mine
Passes to local museums and parks (Children’s Museum, Aquarium, Norfolk Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Funville)

To see a full list of items frequently requested by families, including items for children, visit our Amazon Wish List.

Please email us at development@theupcenter.org if you’d like to help or make an online donation today by clicking here.

Team Up needs volunteers who are interested in helping young people reach their full potential. We welcome applications for internships, volunteer event coordinator, social media manager and mentors. Volunteer or intern with us by contacting us here: volunteer@theupcenter.org.

Our Mission

We are committed to partnering with children, families, and communities to improve lives and outcomes through prevention, intervention, and support services.