The Following Survey Responses Are Based On Students We Currently Serve And Their Mentors. (50 Active LHS Matches)
First: Who are we serving? Why do students ask for mentors?
- 100% Emotional Support — “I need someone to talk to—someone who listens”
- 82% Needs caring adult – Lost a parent to death, divorce, parents emotionally unavailable, too busy, dysfunction in family, lots of family conflict
- 80% Self-Advocacy/Self-Esteem – Needs someone to believe in them, encourage them, help them solve problems, find resources, try new things
- 80% Future Planning – Talk about college, careers, job hunting, set goals, figure out what I want to do with my life, first generation students
- 62% Do Better in School – Not doing well academically, wants help with classwork or organization, doesn’t like school, misses a lot of school—can be the result of other factors outside of school
- 18% Problem Behaviors – Getting in trouble, suspended, D/A, anger management
Second: Who are our mentors? Why do they volunteer?
Results—
100% ALL mentors interviewed volunteer because they want to make a difference in the life of a young person either because they want to give back (someone mentored them) or they wish they would have had the opportunity to have a mentor as a young person (addressing a perceived lack of services, make things better for this generation
Research Also Shows That Mentoring Can Impact Students’ Sense Of Optimism, Self-Efficacy, And School-Connectedness Which Frequently Precedes Improvements In Grades And Other School Related Issues.
Nancy provides the critical backbone of labor, coordination and communication for Partners for Schools. She understands the heart beat and passion of our school leaders and teachers. “After raising our 4 kids, I know it just does not stop there. It really takes many individuals and a community to support kids, families and schools, and I love connecting the critical dots. Every child can benefit from a caring adult mentor”