Tusome Pamoja is currently hosted by All Saints Catholic School, located at:

3418 Noble Avenue

Richmond, Virginia 23222

While Tusome Pamoja is a secular organization, we work closely with faith-based partners, schools, and granting agencies. All Saints Catholic School generously provides classrooms and learning spaces in the heart of the Ginter Park area.

Consistency and punctuality are key to a successful program day.

➡️ 8:30–8:45 – Volunteer arrival and check-in

Volunteers clock in using a QR code or on-site kiosk. This allows staff to track attendance and coordinate substitutes if needed.

➡️ 8:50 – Volunteer meeting and final assignments

Attendance is required. Assignments may change due to absences, and flexibility is essential.

➡️ 9:00–10:00 – First instructional session

➡️ 10:00–10:30 – Break

➡️ 10:30–11:15 – Second instructional session

➡️ 11:15 – Closing meeting and Saturday Shout-Outs (in the gym)

➡️ 11:30 – Student dismissal (bus or parent pickup)

➡️ 12:00 – Volunteer dismissal after classrooms are cleaned and reset

Peer mentors play a central role in each student’s experience. To be successful, mentors are expected to maintain clear communication, provide consistent supervision, and engage actively with their students.

Key responsibilities include:

 • Maintaining open communication with the organization by reading emails regularly—especially before driving to the program each Saturday

 • Staying informed about real-time updates, including weather-related changes, power outages, or cancellations

 • Attending the required volunteer meeting each morning to receive updates and final assignments

 • Guiding students through provided learning materials and offering real-time feedback so students do not struggle alone or repeat the same mistakes

 • Asking for help when needed from senior mentors, room leads, or program leadership

🚸 Unbroken Chain of Custody 🚸

All peer mentors are required to maintain an unbroken chain of custody with their paired student:

 • If a student needs to use the restroom, get water, or take a brief walk, the mentor escorts the student and waits for them before returning to class

 • Volunteers use separate restroom facilities from students

 • If a mentor needs to step away, custody of the student must be transferred to another approved volunteer or teacher until the mentor returns

These procedures ensure student safety and program accountability at all times.

Mentors are supported throughout the day by room leads, senior mentors, and the Director.

Tusome Pamoja maintains high expectations to create a safe, respectful, and supportive learning environment.

Volunteer Expectations

Volunteers are expected to:

 • Be on time—arriving early enough to be prepared before meetings begin

 • Arrive ready to engage with a positive and respectful attitude

 • Avoid phone use around students (phones may be kept on person but not used)

 • Never engage in play fighting, roughhousing, teasing, sass, or negging

 • Use appropriate, respectful language and avoid inappropriate topics

 • Follow instructions to the best of their ability

 • Ask questions in good faith and seek clarification when needed

Support and guidance are always available from senior mentors, room leads, or the Director.

Student Expectations

Participation in Tusome Pamoja is a privilege. Students are expected to:

 • Follow instructions

 • Treat peers and mentors with respect

 • Refrain from fighting, insulting language, or disruptive behavior

Students who fail to meet expectations after correction may be sent home for the day. Students are welcome to return for the next program day without ongoing consequence, with the goal of growth and restored participation.

Tusome Pamoja’s teen mentors have established a youth-led Teen Advisory Board (TAB), an auxiliary organization run entirely by teen peer mentors. While the Director provides guidance, the board is self-governing.

The Teen Advisory Board:

 • Elects new leadership each January

 • Operates on a shared leadership transition model through the summer

 • Includes any teen mentor who has served at least one season

Board members organize activities beyond regular program days, including:

 • Recruitment efforts

 • Fundraisers

 • Community outreach

 • Service projects

 • Festivals, dinners, and social events

This structure fosters ownership, sustainability, and deep engagement among youth leaders.

Tusome Pamoja offers multiple opportunities for continued learning and growth before, during, and after each season.

For Spring 2026, these include:

 • In-person Literacy Workshop: January 21

 • In-person Math Workshop: February 11

Attendance at workshops is strongly recommended for returning volunteers and is prioritized for new applicants, as new curricula, materials, and programming are introduced.

After each season, volunteers may continue participating through:

 • Virtual meetings

 • In-person workshops

 • Ongoing involvement with the Teen Advisory Board

Volunteers are also encouraged to engage in community outreach, either within their own communities or alongside Tusome’s partner organizations.

Being a successful peer mentor means embodying the Tusome Pamoja State of Mind, which guides how we treat ourselves and one another.

We believe:

 • Every person has value just as they are

 • We are more than the sum of our grades, scores, or accomplishments

 • Everyone has something to share and something to learn

 • Progress matters more than perfection

 • Growth may include setbacks, and effort is always worth celebrating

 • Struggle is something we grow through with the guidance of people who care

 • We extend grace under pressure to those who are teachable and striving to improve

This mindset applies equally to students, volunteers, and staff.

Volunteers often remain involved well beyond required service hours because Tusome offers:

 • Meaningful relationships

 • Real responsibility and trust

 • Leadership development

 • A supportive, mission-driven community