The In-School Mentor arrived at the school to find her Mentee intently studying a display on the school’s wall. The Mentor asked her Mentee what he was looking at and he told her it was the “student of the week” tree. He said every time a student does something really well they get their name on a star, which then gets put on the tree. The Mentor suggested to her Mentee that he should try to get his name on a star. He looked at her intently and said, “I could never do that it is too much work” however throughout the visit the Mentor continued to encourage her Mentee. The next week when the Mentor visited her Mentee he came running excitedly down the hallway towards her and exclaimed “I did it; I got my name on the tree”. In-School Mentoring is a fun and rewarding program. It matches an adult volunteer (mentor) with a child (mentee) in a school enviroment. Children referred to the program are those who their teacher and/or school counselor have identified as children who would benefit from additional one-to-one attention and guidance. Building a positive, new friendship strengthens a mentee's self-esteem and school performance, and provides a mentor with the chance to re-experience the adventure of childhood. This program is a true cooperative effort between the local school board, business community and Big Brother/Big Sister agency. School boards allow breaks from regular programming for children to take part. Local businesses promote the program to their employees and offer flexible work schedules for adult participants. The commitment of one hour a week from September to June appeals to people who are busy and still want to volunteer as a mentor. The success of the Big Brother Big Sister program is recognized coast to coast. In-School Mentoring is a modern way of delivering this traditional program. It is based on the one-to-one Big-Little relationship, but minimizes the time commitment of the volunteer. After screening, training and orientation, we support our volunteers through ongoing contact with a caseworker. Some of the activities you might consider are reading books, baking cookies, playing board games, heading to the gym or just hanging out on the playground. In addition to the great fun and friendship you will experience mentoring a child, we also offer our volunteers the opportunity to meet and get to know each other at Mentor Appreciation Lunches. We have a "Welcome Back" luncheon in September and a Wind- Up Luncheon every March for the mentors. "Share a Little Magic - Be a Mentor!"
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