Day in the Life Program

U.Va.’s Community Relations Office is committed to helping local youth experience the vitality of the top-ranked public university in their backyard. Community Relations Office representatives can arrange for youth groups to tour the University. In addition, representatives can arrange for University of Virginia professors, researchers, administrators or coaches to speak at area schools.

The office’s major youth-outreach effort is the Day in the Life Program, through which U.Va. students mentor and tutor local youth.

The Day in the Life Program has two components. In the mentoring component, U.Va. students are matched to local youth to explore the vitality of the top-ranked university in their backyards. Youth experience “a day in the life” of U.Va. students by attending academic, cultural, athletic and social events together on a regular basis. By establishing close relationships against the backdrop of U.Va.'s varied resources, U.Va. students help local youth set goals, increase self esteem and build confidence in their ability to pursue higher education.

In the program's second component, U.Va. students enrolled for credit in designated Curry School of Education classes serve as tutors and provide instruction to local youth in subjects covered by standardized testing. The help, provided individually and in small groups, is conducted at City of Charlottesville and Albemarle County schools, community sites and at the University.

Want to be a Day in the Life mentor? Click here to sign up online.

Read more about the program by accessing the brochure here. For a program poster, click here.

Additionally, the Community Relations Office, working with U.Va.’s Athletic Department, provides more than 1,000 complimentary tickets to athletic events to area youth, their families and nonprofit organizations assisting families each year.