Requires that student mentors in public schools be certified support educators, ensuring mentors have professional training, established student relationships, and access to skills and information needed to support student success.

Rhode Island Student Mentorship Bill: Plain-English Summary

This bill, known as the Education Mentorship Program Act, would set new requirements for people who serve as student mentors in Rhode Island's public schools. Specifically, it would require that anyone acting as a student mentor hold certification as a support educator — a professional designation that means the person has completed recognized training and meets established standards for working with students.

The goal of the bill is to make sure that student mentors are not just well-meaning volunteers or untrained staff, but qualified professionals who already have an established relationship with students, understand their needs, and have the skills and knowledge necessary to help them succeed academically and personally. Under this bill, being a mentor in a public school would carry the same professional expectations as other certified educational roles.

This bill would primarily affect public school students, school administrators, and current or prospective mentors across Rhode Island. Schools would need to ensure their mentorship programs meet the new certification standards, which could mean changes to how they recruit and assign mentors. Mentors who are not currently certified would need to obtain proper credentials to continue in that role.

As of now, the bill has been referred to the House Education Committee, which has recommended holding it for further study rather than moving it forward immediately. This means lawmakers are still reviewing it and it has not yet become law. A hearing was scheduled for March 2026, so the bill remains under active consideration.