The Lunch Buddy Mentor Program is accepting applications for the fall 2025 semester! Mentors visit a local elementary school student twice weekly and join their mentee for lunchtime. At the lunch table, mentors promote positive peer interaction and offer social support to their mentee. In exchange for this consistent mentoring, students receive three hours of course credit.

Applicants are required to participate in a screening interview, agree to a criminal background check and complete a brief training. Reliable transportation and lunchtime availability (roughly between 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.) twice weekly is also required. Undergrads from any college and classification (freshmen to senior) are eligible. Instructors for this course are Tim Cavell, professor of psychological science, and Jessica Rice, graduate mentor coordinator.

Submit an application.

For more information, please contact Isabel Taylor at isabelt@uark.edu or Rachel Christenbury at rachelc@uark.edu.