We believe that education should help build community among women and people of color by promoting collaboration and cooperation in the learning process.

We therefore seek to change the traditional paradigm in educational institutions, that of the lonely, isolated scholar and competitiveness, and replace it with a new paradigm --- that of a community of scholars working to help each other achieve academic success.

At SisterMentors, women of color come together to read each other's work and give constructive feedback, get together in small groups to write, and share resources. Our mentoring of girls of color includes sharing with girls some of the challenges women of color encounter in pursuing their education and strategies they devise to successfully move forward.

We believe that education should not alienate women and people of color from their communities but should instead bring them back to their communities to help promote social change through volunteerism and community service.

We aim to bridge the gap between the academy and the community by fostering a mentoring relationship between women of color doctoral candidates and girls of color in middle and high schools.

Ph.Ds of color cannot afford to ignore the social problems that negatively impact our communities. Our communities can benefit greatly from the learning and skills of Ph.Ds.

Through promoting mentoring of girls among women of color doctoral candidates, we aim to foster Ph.Ds with a social conscience --- women of color who will find new and innovative ways to promote social change in their communities.

We believe that real social change and economic advancement begin with promoting the value of education among women and youth of color.