2004
Therese Ann O’Connor
Senior Lecturer
Director of the Housing and Feeding the Homeless Program
School of Hotel Administration
1995-2002 Chair of the Faculty Fellows-in-Service Governance Committee
Project Title: At-Risk Youth Mentorship in the Hospitality Industry: A Proposal
for an Integrated Course Program
Project Abstract:
The course program was designed with a two-fold mission: first to expose high
school students to the hospitality industry and the world of employment, and provide
an awareness of the potential for working in the industry by actually giving them
the opportunity to work in the field. High school students are paired with Cornell
student mentors, who would prompt them to explore a variety of schooling, training
and employment opportunities in the hospitality industry. Secondly, the course
provides a meaningful and effective service-learning experience for Cornell students
by exploring the application of mentoring and supervision theories learned in
the classroom, which then inform Cornell students’ mentorship with and role modeling
for high school students. Partnerships are developed with agencies such as the
Tompkins County Youth Bureau, the Ithaca Youth Bureau, the Learning Web, and the
Access to College Education Program (ACE).
