Rainier Athletes is a long-term mentoring organization that supports students and families in the Bellevue School District. Each student is matched with a mentor who meets with them every week, every year, from 4th grade through high school graduation and beyond. Students are also fully sponsored to participate year-round in the sports and activities of their choice.
Our vision is a connected community where youth discover an authentic sense of belonging and live a life they love.
WHAT WE DO
Rainier Athletes’ unique wraparound approach to mentoring transcends what is typical of a mentor-mentee relationship. Beyond the relationship built with the student, our community of mentors foster an authentic connection with the student’s Core Community to holistically support and motivate students to achieve their greatest potential.
Building an entire network of support, rather than a single outlet, the student feels a deeper sense of belonging whether they are at home, in the classroom, on the field, or moving throughout their community. We call this approach “ONE Team Mentoring.”
Students and their families begin their RA journeys in 4th or 5th grade and remain a part of the RA community through high school graduation and beyond. Each student is matched with a dedicated mentor who meets with them weekly, year-round. Mentors receive annual training in trauma- and culturally-informed practices and are supported by RA staff with data, coaching, and reflective tools that center student voice and belonging.
ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL MENTORING
In collaboration with their mentor and family, students develop an Identity Statement that celebrates their unique qualities, perspectives, and culture. Students engage in the daily practice of self-advocacy through conversations exploring and promoting their identities with their teachers. Every week, teachers add observations and reflections about these conversations, students meet with their mentors to reflect, and mentors share a report with the student’s Core Community of supporters (teachers, coaches, and family).
The RA high school experience adds peer-to-peer and group mentoring to the ongoing one-on-one mentoring model. Students are grouped into “squads” where they explore identity, belonging, and plans for life after high school graduation together.
HIGH SCHOOL MENTORING
RA’s Next Steps and Beyond curriculum equips students with tools, relationships, and confidence to pursue diverse postsecondary pathways. Mentors assist with college and scholarship applications, job readiness, financial aid, and decision-making conversations. Students are exposed to a variety of career options through corporate partners and personal connections from professionals with similar lived experience.
NEXT STEPS & BEYOND
After high school graduation, RA provides need-based Next Steps Scholarships to cover essential costs not met by traditional aid, such as transportation, dorm supplies, and certification fees.
SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
RA addresses the economic, cultural, and logistical barriers that often prevent families from accessing extracurricular activities. We cover all participation costs, including registration fees, uniforms, equipment, and transportation, and assist families with communication, translation, and technology navigation to ensure equitable participation. While athletics remains a powerful entry point for connection, RA now supports students pursuing passions across sports, the arts, STEM, and community-based programs. These activities become pathways to belonging, confidence, leadership, and deeper conversations with mentors that define RA’s impact.
WRAPAROUND COORDINATION
Through a robust network of community partners, RA connects families to essential resources that address food insecurity, housing instability, mental health support, transportation, and legal aid. Each year, RA facilitates access to more than $100,000 in community resources, ensuring that basic needs are met and students stay focused on growth, learning, and opportunity.