MENTEE-SS

A man in a plaid blazer, white shirt, red patterned tie, and glasses smiling in a classroom. He holds a cane or stick in his right hand, with a whiteboard and blue storage pockets on the wall behind him.

MENTEE-SS reimagines Multi-Tiered Systems of Support by placing purposeful human connection as the core intervention across all three tiers. In a world where academic systems often outpace the needs of the human spirit, this framework integrates mentorship as a foundational structure for student success. It supports not just academic achievement, but identity development, and holistic emotional well-being and community integration for all students.

The Six Pillars

“Love is a combination of care, commitment, knowledge, responsibility, respect and trust.”
— bell hooks

Mentorship
Every student deserves a mentor. Relationships are not extra—they are essential.

Engagement
Students engage when they feel seen. Connection strengthens motivation, participation, and resilience.

Nurturing
A strengths-based culture replaces deficit thinking. We grow the whole student.

Trust
Predictable, authentic relationships build safe environments for risk-taking and learning.

Empowerment
Students gain voice and agency through reflection, belonging, and co-creation.

Excellence
True excellence is nurtured, not demanded. Academic growth thrives in connection.

Research-Based Synthesis

Decades of research affirm that teacher-student relationships improve GPA, motivation, emotional health, and long-term success (Ansari et al., 2020; Wentzel et al., 2016; Zheng, 2022). Yet traditional MTSS frameworks often treat relationships as secondary or incidental.

MENTEE-SS re-centers them. Drawing from positive psychology, identity theory, and resilience research, this framework embeds mentorship into all three tiers of support. Universal strategies like “I See You” circles, small-group reflection pods, and one-on-one coaching with family integration create a full spectrum of care. Connection becomes infrastructure—not ornament.

CALL TO ACTION

CALL TO ACTION

A man in a suit stands and gestures in a classroom filled with students working at tables.

MENTEE-SS is more than a model. It is a call to reinvigorate education with a large and loving dose of HUMANITY. If you believe that mentorship belongs at the heart of academic systems, MENTEE-SS gives you the tools to act.