Grant starts mentoring program
Special to the Gazette
Friday, October 13, 2006
Adults and teenagers will soon have a new opportunity to become positive role models for Emporia youth.
The Emporia Public Schools has been awarded a state grant to begin a new school-based mentoring program, YouthFriends. The program is a nationally recognized network that connects caring adult volunteers with young people in schools.
A $62,830 grant from the Governor’s Discretionary Portion of Safe and Drug-Free Schools will allow Emporia to hire two prevention specialists to oversee the mentoring program in the district. This first year, the program will be offered at six schools: Riverside and W.A. White Elementary Schools , Lowther Intermediate Schools , Emporia Middle School and Emporia High School .
Health Wagoner, elementary prevention specialist in the district, said she will attend training next week with Angela Morey, secondary prevention specialist, and Margi Grimwood, Safe and Drug-Free Schools coordinator. They hope to kick off their recruiting efforts at the end of the month during Red Ribbon Week.
Volunteers will be asked to commit one hour per week for a year. Activities will include being a lunch buddy, tutoring, sharing an interest or hobby and helping with homework. No special skills are necessary, only the ability to be a good listener. All volunteers are screened and trained and any adult 18 or over may apply. There is no cost to the students or adult volunteers. All activities will be done on school grounds before, during or after school.
“The activities will be tailored to the specific needs of the school,” Wagoner said.
At Emporia High School, Morey also plans to start a YouthFriends Corps program that will train high school students to serve as mentors for children in elementary school.
YouthFriends Kansas is headquartered at the Southeast Kansas Education Service Center at Girard. YouthFriends began in 1995 as a pilot with 613 volunteers in six Greater Kansas City school districts. In its first nine years, YouthFriends has screened, trained and placed more than 19,000 volunteers in over 90 school districts in three states, positively touching the lives of more than 133,000 students.
For information about becoming a YouthFriends volunteers or to receive an application, contact Margi Grimwood, 341-2450, or mgrimwoo@usd253.org.