In-School Mentorship
The In-School Mentorship Program has been our core program since 2004, recruiting and training adult male volunteers to serve as a mentors, one hour a week for an entire school year.
Applicants are carefully interviewed and receive standard background checks. Once accepted, they receive basic training and are matched with a mentee who has been identified by school social workers as likely to benefit from time spent with a positive male role model. Most students are in elementary school, but many are in middle school and occasionally in high school as well. Every effort is made to align the interests and personalities of mentor and mentee. Rarely does a match prove unsuccessful.
MEN works in eight schools scattered across the community, including boys from third grade to twelfth. There is, in other words, an age level, a location, and a schedule for every prospective mentor. The commitment is for a minimum of one year, but most mentors elect to continue for at least a second year. The commitment pays off: research shows that mentorship becomes significantly more effective after eighteen months.
The actual mentoring sessions are extremely simple and free of any specific agenda: we just want mentors to be sympathetic and attentive men who show interest – and, above all, just show up! A typical hour might be split between what the boy wants to do, be it shoot hoops or surf the web, and what the mentor proposes. Tutoring is a frequent feature, though not expected. If you must be absent, that’s okay - we’ll help you make that a positive, real-life experience for your mentee.
The In-School Mentorship is conducted by Fritz Hahn LMSW, and includes ongoing supervision, support and training. In 2009 we are initiating a training track which will culminate in a Master Mentor designation including certain organizational duties.
MEN works extremely closely with school social workers, teachers and principals to ensure we are all working in concert and that no child slips through the cracks. The outcome, as measured by our semi-annual evaluations, shows 15% higher improvement rates than national standards – a tribute to our dedicated mentors!
Our mentorship increased from 17 to 70 mentors during the 2008-2009 school year. We want to reach the 100 mark early in the new school year – join us!
Contact:
Crispin Clarke, Executive Director, c.clarke@nonviolentmen.org cell 575.770.7810
Fritz Hahn, Director of Programs,
f.hahn@nonviolentmen.org cell 575.779.7771
