|
Mentoring program continues to help at-risk students, more volunteers needed
In Thursday, July 2, 2009 issue
The Mission Statement for the Clinton County mentoring program reads as
follows: “The Clinton County Mentoring Program seeks to encourage
at-risk students to succeed academically and to promote a positive
attitude toward school. The program seeks to build self-esteem, acquire
academic success and to expand their career aspirations by interacting
with adult volunteers from the community who serve as mentors. These
mentors serve as a “safety net” for at-risk youth who are often
alienated from others and lack adequate support networks from family to
encourage high academic and career aspirations.”
The aforementioned “mission” is working for over 50 local students and
in the past, since the mentoring program began four years ago, hundreds
of at-risk youth have been helped by being paired with caring, older
adults who volunteer a little of their time to help a child succeed, not
only in the school setting, but a life setting itself.
The mentoring program will begin its fifth year with the start of the
2009-2010 school term, according to Kathy Conner, who has helped
coordinate the program at Clinton County Middle School since the program
began.
Now, not only do CCMS students benefit from having adults work with
them, but the program was expanded last year to Albany Elementary
School, where Chris Marcum coordinates the program.
The highly successful mentoring process began with a three-year grant
and after that expired, the program was picked up with grant funds from
the Safe Schools/Healthy Kids initiative and expanded to the lower
grades, where the students can continue on with their mentors into the
higher grade level.
The program was designed as an “in-school” tutoring program and
according to Conner, is only one of a handful of programs that directly
assist at-risk students inside a school setting.
Since the program is now available at AES, mentors who partner with a
student can continue on with the same student, even to CCMS.
To be a mentor, all it takes is a little time once per week, either an
hour or half-hour once per day, at whatever time the adult can be
available to work with the student. They interact by with activities
that may range from reading, to just talking and both Conner and Marcum
noted that one of the more popular periods for both mentors and the
child alike is during lunch hours when they can eat together.
“Sometimes, a lunch hour may be more convenient for mentors who work and
take that time to be with the student,” Conner noted.
Students who are in the program are referred by either teachers and/or
school counselors.
As far as mentors, they are recruited in various ways, Conner noted. She
said the program coordinators visit clubs, church groups, talk to
individuals and leave brochures informing them of the program and,
Conner said, some of the best recruits are the mentors themselves, who
recruit others to join the program.
For safety sake, for all angles--students, school and even the adult
mentors themselves, all mentors are screened and go through a background
check as any employee in the school district would go through.
“It’s (background check) is not a major ordeal,” said Marcum, “but a
safeguard for the school and child alike. Mentors also have to complete
a routine application process.
Also in the mentoring session, the adult and the child is never ‘left
alone’ without someone in school personnel being near. Since it is in a
school based setting, it is under a supervised situation. “The student
and their adult mentor have space for themselves, but someone else is
always around,” Conner said.
This past school year, some 37 students were in the program at the
middle school and another 20 at the elementary school. However, there
are always more students who qualify for mentoring than mentors
themselves. Thus, the need for adults to volunteer in the program is
always important.
When discussing the mentoring programs pilot year at Albany Elementary,
Marcum termed it “great.”
“The staff and administration is very supportive, and they see the
benefits that students gain from the mentoring program,” he added. He
said the kids really looked forward to the visits from their mentors and
the adults also obtain a very positive experience.
“Children need encouragement and friendship,” he continued.
As the programs Mission Statement itself implies, children are referred
to the program for various reasons, including the lack of interaction
with adults or not being able to thrive well in a school setting. Having
that adult mentor to interact and do things with helps most youngsters
look at school in a more positive light.
Even though the visits by mentors with the students are only once per
week for the most part, both coordinators noted that both the student
and the adult look forward to the visits. And, the time spent is
coordinated with each school as to not take much away from classroom
time. Each school staff works around the mentors visits, they said.
Conner also noted that mentors sometimes maintain contact with the
student they help even during off-school months, usually by cards or
letters. And typically, each mentor will stay with the same child from
one year to the next.
She also noted the program was somewhat unique in that the mentoring
program is the “in-school” setting.
Also, there is no real ‘cap’ on the number of students who can be
referred for the program. “We have so many students who can benefit as
long as we have the volunteers to match,” Conner said.
More mentors are needed and anyone wishing to become a mentor to a child
or needing more information about the program in general should contact
Conner at the middle school by calling 387-6466 or Marcum at Albany
Elementary, 387-5828.
Send this page to a friend |