ARE YOU INTERESTED IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE?
Who were your mentors when you were growing up? Were there people in your life who offered you encouragement, shared their experiences and knowledge, and sometimes just listened when you needed to talk? Do they know what a lasting difference they made? Did you ever say “thank you” to them for helping you learn how to lead a successful, responsible life?
Today, too many kids don’t get enough of the support they need. One high school student put it this way: “Young people need role models…you need someone to help you go in the right direction because, a lot of times, we stray as young people and need someone there that can say ‘you don’t need to do this…. what you’re doing is good, and you need to keep going this way.’ As long as you have someone behind you, pushing you and supporting you, you feel like you always have strength to keep going.”
It doesn’t require any special skills to volunteer as a mentor—just a little time and an ability to listen, offer friendship, guidance and encouragement to a young person growing up today.
Mentoring Job Description: To provide social, academic and/or career-oriented support to a student.
The Stamford Mentoring Partnership (STAMP) is beginning the second year of a community wide site-based mentoring initiative to help give young people what they need to succeed.
Commitment: Each mentor will be matched one-to-one with a student. He/she will meet with the student at least once a week for an hour at the designated community site/agency for the school year. The mentor will agree to a background check, attend a training session and check in regularly with the agency liaison.
Mentor Responsibilities:
§ Be a Friend. Listen to the student, understand the obstacles the youth perceives in school or life, and help him/her identify possible solutions. § Be a Role Model. Demonstrate values of punctuality, dependability and reliability by modeling these for the student. § Accept the Student: The student may be of a different race, religion, culture or economic circumstance than the volunteer. Accept the student for “who they are” and understand and appreciate the student’s background. § Assist with Academic Assignments: Check homework, assist with test preparation, make suggestions about special projects and informally “tutor” the student. § Encourage the Student to Stay in School: Help the young person to appreciate the importance of education, both personally and professionally. § Set Goals: Work with the student to develop long-range goals for his/her academic and personal life. The success of this relationship will depend on the mentor helping the student reduce these goals to short-term, manageable, weekly activities.
In Connecticut, there are over 160,000 children (25% of Connecticut youth) Who have life situations that place them at risk for personal and academic failure. These situations include poverty, inadequate early childhood experiences and preparation for school, family drug use, violence, involvement in the criminal justice system, and lack of access to needed social and mental health services.
Children who have ongoing relationships with caring adults are more likely to avoid alcohol or other drugs, stay in school and get good grades, have a better self-image and have better relationships with their families and friends.
MENTORING BENEFITS EVERYONE
Young people with mentors learn how to lead successful, responsible lives. With a mentor’s guidance, they learn how to resolve conflicts and how to understand and accept responsibility. They learn how to identify, set and achieve goals. Often, they are able to explore career options.
A 2003 study of close to 500 mentoring pairs conducted by the Connecticut Mentoring Partnership shows:
Youth with mentors say they: · Have a better attitude at school · Are getting better grades · Are behaving better in class · Are well-prepared for school every day
Employees who mentor say: · 98% are satisfied with the experience · 99% believe their company should invest in youth (their future workforce) · 89% said the mentoring program made them proud to work for their company · 63% said they feel more productive at work after mentoring
The Stamford Mentoring Partnership (STAMP) is committed to establishing and supporting site based mentoring programs.
Benefits for Mentors National and Connecticut studies reveal that employees who mentor benefit as much as the child. Employees who are mentors: · Return to work happier and feel more productive · Are more appreciative of youth from diverse backgrounds · Are more loyal and have greater pride in their company · Feel better about themselves for having affected a child’s life · Accept more challenges at work and at home
Benefits for Employers Employers have found that they have: · Improved their image in the community · Increased community awareness of their mission · Prepared the work force of the twenty-first century · Advanced their diversity goals
Communities with mentoring programs benefit as youth behavior shows a decrease in substance abuse, fewer teen pregnancies, lower school dropout rates, and less juvenile crime.
Many more mentors, especially men and minorities, are needed. Please join the Stamford Mentoring Partnership (STAMP) as an organization or an individual. Contact the Mayor’s Office at 977-4150 and make a difference in the life of a young person.
SUPPORT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE --- BECOME A MENTOR! |