Mentor Coordinator Report
Stories & Quotes To Share:
“How to Recruit Mentees”
When looking for new mentees at the middle school, I have a lot of options. I can visit classes to give presentations, I can talk to students during passing periods or lunch, students can get recommended by teachers and counselors. While all of these options have been really good at bringing in new mentees, word of mouth remains undefeated in bringing in new students. Two new matches at the middle school this month happened because the students heard great things about the program from friends of theirs. It goes to show that no matter how much you talk about the program and its benefits; The best way to show all the good that comes of the program is by letting the mentors and mentees make meaningful connections. These connections cannot be faked and when kids see the genuine impact that having a mentor can make, they will be more receptive to it than the best PowerPoint presentation.
“The First Step”
The best matches here at LMS all have one thing in common: Fun. The first step to any mentorship is being liked or fun to be around. I tell mentors during the training that they have probably never had a mentor that they hated being around. Kids join the program for a bunch of different reasons. The most common reasons are “I want someone to listen to me.” Or “It sounded like fun!” But before any mentorship can truly begin, mentors and mentees need to build a connection through kindness and enjoyment. After a new match here at the middle school, I ask the student what they thought about the mentor. A hundred times out of a hundred, if the student enjoyed the meeting, they say: “They were cool!” or “They were fun!” That is the gold standard for mentors and the most effective way to make a match. It’s not the wisdom or life experience, the kindness or listening. It’s the time that you spend with your mentee and how much they enjoyed it.
Highlights:
Current Matches: 26 (3 New Matches Pending)
New matches this month: 3
Closed Matches this month: 0
Waitlist: 12 Students (11 girls / 1 boy)
Upcoming:
No School: March 4-6, March 16
Mentor Social: March 10
Aim and Game Trip: May 12
Number of Current Matches: 26
Submitted by Sammuel Van Kirk – vankirks@lynden.wednet.edu