Mentor Coordinator Report
Number of Current Matches: 46
Highlights:
• 51 matches over the course of the year.
• We started the year with 21 matches, and we had 30 new matches made during the year.
• We had 5 matches that ended during the school year.
3 students moved to another school and withdrew from the program.
1 student withdrew from the program (parent’s decision).
1 student withdrew from the program by choice.
• We have 4 matches ending at the end of the school year (3 changing schools, 1 discontinuing).
• At the Middle School this year we had 830 mentoring hours of pairs meeting together.
• Only one student remained on the wait list. Hopefully, I can match that student in September.
• Twenty-one 8th graders (& mentors) will be passed on to the high school next year.
• We have some mentors ready to go in the fall to be matched with new students, but WE NEED MORE.
• We had 9 New Mentor Orientations this year. From those orientations we trained 48
mentors and matched most with a student.
• We had 4 mentor equipping courses with multiple mentors attending different programs.
Monumental First:
First the first time ever, I trained and matched two Spanish speaking mentors that do not speak English. One was matched with a student that does not speak English as either. This was a huge step for our program, because we have such a need for Spanish speakers. Hispanic students are requesting this, and now we have been able to fulfill this request. Overall, we have been receiving more mentors with diverse backgrounds, which is a positive thing to support students.
Stories & Quotes To Share:
Busting at the seams:
The program at the middle school was absolutely booming this year. We had the most matches ever, and the most students seeking out a mentor than ever before. Counselors, teachers, and administrators are recommending the program, while students are recruiting their friends. If we matched every student interested in the program, we might be closer to 80-100 students matched. Students understand that
mentoring is a huge benefit, and they want their friends to know as well.
• More mentors: We continue to recruit new mentors. We saw over 40 new mentors trained from our New Mentor Orientation this year, and they were matched instantly.
• Café Day: Mentors came and met at the Inn at Lynden to talk to other mentors about the ups and downs of mentoring. Every person bought a beverage and talked for a few hours. This event gave mentors the support they needed from other mentors. Overall, it seemed like a success, and it was well received.
• End-of-the-year celebration: The middle school BTO program went to AIM & GAME in Ferndale this year, and it was a huge success. Students and mentors got to play video games, shoot gel blasters, throw axes, and win lots of stuffed animals. Overall, the event was a good accomplishment. From our mentor surveys, 92% of those that attended the event found it to be enjoyable for both the student and mentor. Many students have never been to such a place before.
Submitted by Brian Clemmer – deb@partnersforschools.org