Westar joins in YouthFriends
Nancy Horst
Friday, May 9, 2008
YouthFriends Kansas and Westar Energy are making a difference in the lives of the young people across Kansas. Westar Energy’s volunteer and financial support of YouthFriends Kansas’ new initiative, Serving Kansas Schools, “Partner With a School” is helping to support over 6,500 students in eight Kansas school districts, including Emporia.
YouthFriends connects volunteers with students in schools. YouthFriends spend about 30 minutes to an hour each week together having lunch, chatting, doing homework, playing games, or enjoying hobbies. Since inception in 1998, YouthFriends has provided more than 65 school districts with the training and support required to establish successful school-based mentoring programs; more than 5,200 Kansas YouthFriends volunteers have touched the lives of nearly 42,500 Kansas students. Last year alone 2,000 trained volunteers provided much-needed tutoring and mentoring to 12,300 students with more than 65,000 hours of volunteer time in schools.
Emporia’s YouthFriends is in its third year of operation.
YouthFriends is open to all young people, grades K-12 and all volunteer activities take place on school grounds, before, during or after school. YouthFriends is fun, flexible, and making a difference.
For more information about becoming a “Partner with a School” partner in or to volunteer, contact Margi Grimwood, Safe and Drug-Free Schools coordinator for the Emporia schools, 341-2450.
YouthFriends programs also can be found in the Cheney, Haysville, Hutchinson, Independence, Pittsburg, Royal Valley and Wichita school districts.
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