There is a new job in town that almost every adult is qualified for. We promise short hours, incredible benefits, and the opportunity to make a positive influence in a child’s life.

As children and adolescents in our community start their third week of the school year, Make A Difference-Mentor A Child in-school mentoring program is also moving forward. The program is a community partnership matching skills and experience with the needs, talents, interests, and enthusiasm of youth to build hope and possibility for our students and community, while recognizing that all children can learn and ultimately achieve success. The goal for this school year is to serve more students than last year and to offer mentoring services in all of Carroll County Public Schools serving students from Kindergarten to 7th grade.

Our public schools have the responsibility of educating the children in Carroll County, although other students’ needs are also met through school. Sometimes students have non-academic needs that hinder their school achievement, which MAD-MAC mentoring program addresses. Flexman, Ascher, and Harrington (1988) define mentoring as a supportive relationship between a youth and a person who offers support, guidance, and concrete assistance through a difficult time, starts important tasks, or corrects challenges. Students with varied life circumstances have participated in the program. Our mentors not only provide children and adolescents with a positive role model, appropriate social and relationship skills, and developing healthy self-esteem, but also dedication and commitment. Above all, our dedicated mentors support and inspire mentees to fulfill their potential and to reach their goals. In general our mentors have gone above and beyond the expectations of the program, very often becoming advocates for the student’s needs and bringing to the attention of school personnel information regarding unmet needs of their mentees.

Adult volunteers in our community are assigned a student with whom they meet weekly, at school, and during school hours. The activities mentors and mentees engage in during their meetings depend on the student’s interests and are child-centered. Typically our mentors meet with the student for the school year, although we have students and mentors who have continued their relationship for several years. The mentor’s role involves modeling appropriate social skills, fostering positive growth, acting as a role model and friend, while stimulating the youth’s development in character and competence. The mentor-mentee relationship is based on respect, commitment, and friendship.

Schools are starting to refer students to our office and students and families will soon receive applications for the MAD-MAC program. However, we are in great need of mentors to fulfill the requests and to be able to provide a mentor to each child referred to us. Recruitment efforts last year doubled the number of volunteers interested in mentoring, but still the number of students being referred by schools exceeds by far the number of mentors we have available. There are many children around the county that could benefit from the relationship with a safe friend. Since there are a great number of boys referred to the program, we always need male adults to match with the students.

As the program coordinator I want to extend an invitation to community members of Carroll County to participate in this rewarding program. The program requires an application, a background check, and training, and the commitment to meet for at least one hour every week with the assigned mentee during school hours. Also tax-deductible monetary donations or contributions of craft and party supplies are greatly appreciated. I also want to thank the Advisory Committee integrated by: Erroll Jett, Betty Williams, Patricia Sebens, Patricia Golding, Sheila South, Rita Creed, Dorothy Peterson, Brenda Marrah, and Jessica Funk, as well as Pat Frost, School Social Worker, and the Carroll County Public Schools for their continuing support and encouragement.

For more information about the Make A Difference-Mentor A Child Mentoring Program and the difference we’re making in the community, call Alejandra Silva at 276-728-3191 or e-mail at masilva@ccpsd.k12.va.us.

M. Alejandra Silva-Tucci, MSW

Make A Difference-Mentor A Child

Program Coordinator/ Americorps Volunteer

Carroll County Public Schools