Manhattan Girl Scout Founded Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program for Underserved Communities

Daisy Hampton, a twelve-year-old who attends the British International School of New York, created Including You to help bridge the digital divide for under-resourced homes during online learning.

By Melissa Wickes February 9, 2021

Daisy Hampton—a 12-year-old Girl Scout from Manhattan—saw how her peers with disabilities or those coming from under-resourced homes were not getting the same opportunities she was. When the pandemic hit and remote learning became a reality, it became exceedingly clear that her peers experiencing homelessness or coming from under-resourced homes were not given the same chance to learn due to a lack of devices or internet access.

Daisy's way of helping fix this problem is Including You—a non-profit peer-to-peer program that allows kids ages 11-17 to volunteer to mentor and tutor younger children experiencing learning differences, developmental or physical disabilities, or economic disparities.

Since its inception last March, Including You has mentored students all over the country; organized monthly virtual field trips to art museums, zoos, and other cultural institutions; and facilitated virtual programming in subjects like art, STEM, music, and cooking. In addition, Including You has distributed nearly 200 virtual devices to underserved students across the country.

Daisy has received over 200 requests in one day for laptop requests from public school teachers on behalf of their students. Now, she meets with NYC educators or families several times a week to deliver laptops or hotspots. If you want to help, you can make a cash donation to Including You or donate a computer to help Daisy help students. Including You has a waiting list of volunteers at top high schools in NYC looking to serve as mentors or tutors. Parents of kids who would like to be matched with mentors are encouraged to email [email protected].