Mentoring Program Overview
History
In 2001 staff at Lawrence Intermediate School, who were participating in StrengthBuilding Training & Coaching, identified the need for a mentoring program for their students. In response to this need, StrengthBuilding Partners began meeting with members of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. A partnership was created with a common goal of creating a mentoring program that would impact the students at Johnson Primary and Lawrence Intermediate Schools. SBP began searching for funding and in October 2002 was awarded a grant from the Governor's Division of Drug Policy through a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Education, Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Title IV Program through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The SBP Mentoring Program was created, cementing the partnership between SBP, the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Lawrence Intermediate and Johnson Primary Schools as they worked together to develop a successful mentoring program.
The emphasis of the program is on a supportive, caring experience, and the development of a trusting relationship over time. The child is given undivided attention, and the focus is on his/her thoughts, feelings and dreams.
Mission
The overall mission of the SBP Mentoring Program is to provide an innovative, school-based mentoring program through a unique collaboration between the schools and SBP, a community based non–profit organization. The program is specifically for 1st through 8th grade children with the greatest need. We are committed to evaluate its effectiveness through a rigorous evaluation process.
Goals and Outcomes
The goals of the program are:
- to provide general guidance;
- to increase participation in, and enhance the ability to benefit from, elementary and secondary education; and
- to encourage the setting of goals and planning for the future, including encouragement of graduation from secondary school and planning for postsecondary education or training.
The outcome of the program is: an increased number of youth graduating from high school and, moving on to college or other types of training that will prepare them to be productive and successful citizens. The Program The StrengthBuilding Partners Mentoring Program is currently in operation at Johnson Primary, Lawrence Intermediate and Hohokam Middle Schools. Group activities and community projects, facilitated by StrengthBuilding Partners, as well as one-to-one visitation take place on a weekly basis at Hohokam and monthly at Johnson and Lawrence.
Named by the Hohokam mentors and mentees, the program is known as SBP’s “M&M (Mentor & Mentee) Connection.” Lisa Cordova, the Mentoring Liaison for Hohokam, and Olivia Gaxiola, Mentoring Liaison for Johnson and Lawrence, are busy recruiting mentors from the community and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe for both programs. More caring adults are being sought for the Mentoring Program. The primary requirement is a desire to help a student grow in his or her self-esteem, confidence and feeling of self-worth.
Celebrating the Program
At the end of each school year mentors, mentees, parents, school staff, tribal representatives and other community representatives come together for a Gala held in May at Hohokam Middle School. It has been an annual community event since 2003. This year special mention will be made of Juan Romero and Vanessa Gutierrez for being two of ten mentors in Arizona to receive the Governor’s Office “Mentor of the Year Award” for 2008. This is the second year that StrengthBuilding Partners has had mentors selected for the award.
Funding
The program, which began in 2002, has twice been funded by a grant from the Governor's Division of Drug Policy through a grant provided by the U.S. Department of Education, Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Title IV Program through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, Federal Grants from the Department of Education, Title I funds from Tucson Unified School District (TUSD), funds from the Pascua Yaqui Tribe (PYT), and funds from StrengthBuilding Partners. Key to the program are the in-kind contributions from TUSD and the generosity of the PYT which allows tribal employees to use paid time to volunteer in the schools.
Contact Marie Stickford at maries@strengthbuilding.org or by phone at 520 404-6275 for information on the application process or questions about StrengthBuilding Partners Mentoring Programs.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor, click here to download an Application (.PDF format, 149kb), or call Marie Stickford at 404-6275.
