The Gainesville Enrichment Mentoring (GEM) Program recruits dedicated mentors from the City’s workforce, community advocacy groups, fraternal organizations, community associations, city and county governments, business organizations, and churches to provide one-on-one mentoring to middle and high school students for at least one hour each week. Non-union represented city employees who participate as mentors in the GEM Program are granted one hour of leave each week for that purpose.

Low income and at risk students enter the program at the 7th grade level and remain until graduation from high school, at which time they are awarded free 2-year community college scholarships. The GEM Program is housed in and operated by the City’s Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO).

For more information regarding the GEM Program, please contact Maria Gonzalez DeJesus at
(352) 334-5051.