Nooksack Valley High School & Middle School
Be The One Coordinator Report
May 2020 – Mentoring
Stories to share (names have been changed):
- Beginning video match meetings is both a breath of fresh air and, possibly, a way to lean into the future of mentoring. Now that we have started the practice, we are looking to expand it to serve our current matches and discover how to move toward adding new mentors and students. The reality is proving interesting. Lessons learned — Scheduling, do you have any idea how late teenagers are sleeping in these days? Technology, it is not always the (older) adult mentors that struggle with new ways of doing things.
- “This is the sort of thing that everybody can do. Everybody can encourage that young man or young woman to go do something and that will fundamentally change their life.” William McRaven, retired US navy Admiral and former commander of US Special Operations and chancellor of The University of Texas System. From an interview with David Axelrod.
May Mentoring Update:
- we have 15 matches, 6 Middle School, 9 high school
- implemented video/Zoom gatherings with mentors and students
- (video) meeting with area Coordinators
- joined conferences sponsored by Washington Mentors, varied topics
- read Tightrope by Nichola Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Excellent book to gain insight into the reality of life for many students and ways we can helpfully and hopefully respond. Gives a nice nod to mentoring programs
Looking ahead:
- preparing for the end of school year transition
- preparing for the coming school year