Mentor Coordinator Report
Program Growth:
We started with 22 matches in the fall. As I learned more about the job continued outreach during the day and at school events, the program started expanding. We continued to slowly add matches each month and by April we had 55 matches. At times it was overwhelming. I am glad I had Michele Barmore to help with orientations, outreach and screening new mentors and mentees.
Seeing Students Grow:
Watching students grow was such a joy. Being new in the coordinator role, I did not know many of the students in the program. Getting to know them and hearing of their daily struggles, watching them tackle hard issues week after week was so rewarding. Observing the mentors as they helped guide thier students and just be there for them, was so satisfying. Mentors impacted our students every day, they showed up and were present. They asked for advice when they were unsure of how to handle situations.
Our school had significant loses this year. We lost 4 students, a freshman and 3 seniors. All of our students were impacted by these loses and I am so glad we had mentors in our program that helped many of the students process their feelings and emotions.
10 mentees graduated this year. Two of them told me they would not have graduated without the support of their mentor.
Supporting Students during challenges:
Many of our students dealt with some serious life events this year; loss of family members, health challenges, losing 4 classmates and other traumatic events. Our counselors can only see so many kids per day, the students in BTO were able to see their mentors once a week for support and at times mentors came twice if their student was really struggling. Our mentors really stepped up and helped our students deal with these hard issues.
Evaluation:
Over 35 students participated in our end-of-year interview sessions. Listening to their stories truly solidified the profound impact of our program, and hearing directly how it benefits them was incredibly heartwarming.
Survey Results:
66% of our students completed the survey.
54% of the mentors completed the survey.
Mentor Feedback Suggestions:
- Make sure my student is here for the meeting( some kids left mid day and I did catch that)
- Have a craft each month
- Reschedule missed meetings
- Meet weekly- some could not due to their schedule
- Check in with new mentors ½ way thru the year
- More discussion sheets for matches
Training Topics suggested:
- Career paths for mentees
- Trauma-informed healing
- Resiliency tips
Student Feedback:
- Most were very happy with the program- they loved meeting with their mentor during the day
- They would like more field trips to Edaleen
- More crafts each month
Looking ahead to 25/26:
Increasing the frequency of BTO Gatherings in the library, similar to our well-received Thanksgiving, interview, and end-of-year events, would greatly benefit the program. These gatherings are invaluable for community building and fostering stronger relationships, and the food was always a popular highlight.
Number of Current Matches: 55
Submitted by Erin Gunter – Erin.Gunter@ferndalesd.org