It's hard for some of us to believe that there are people out there who have never had the opportunity to observe orderliness in the lives and homes of other people. They have no idea how others approach and solve the issues that people face in their daily lives. Some don't know how to think to apply the knowledge that they have to answer questions and to solve many of the problems they face. Many do not have the self-confidence to solve problems and act in their own behalf.
During the Bush administration, former First Lady, Laura Bush was often seen on PSAs on TV saying, "Be a friend, be a mentor." At a conference on mentoring in Portland, Oregon last year, she said that she wanted to "remind every caring adult that they can make a huge difference in the lives of young people. If children know that we believe in them, then they are much more likely to believe in themselves. "
The friends of Mission Granbury mentoring program is the brain-child of former president, Pat Herndon. The mentoring is planned to take place at the Ada Carey Center with clients staying there while they reconstruct their lives shattered by domestic violence. Here is the statement of her vision and the instructions to the participants:
Volunteer Tutorial/Mentoring/Reading Program
The Tutorial/Mentoring/Reading (TMR) Program will provide learning assistance on Monday and Thursday for all school age children grades Pre-K through 12. Assistance will be provided for students' homework and assigned school projects as applicable. If no school assignments have been made, a volunteer teacher-initiated session should be provided. In some cases the student may read aloud, or in others the teacher will read material suitable for the age group, or if more appropriate, do student-teacher interactive readings. Upon departure from the ACC each child will be provided a new book suitable for his/her age level to support continuation of a reading activity.
A volunteer Lead Teacher will be designated for each week for Monday and Thursday. For counting purposes the first week begins on the first Monday of the month. The Lead Teacher will be responsible for one week each month and be responsible to acquire two volunteer assistants from the Volunteer List. The TMR sessions will take place for a one-hour time period, 4:15 to 5:15 PM. This timing allows the students time to get settled after getting to the ACC at 4:00 PM.
The TMR Program is designed to be conducted by volunteers with minimal support of ACC staff. The Lead Teacher is fully responsible for the classes. She will check in with the staff Monday morning to determine the number and ages of available students and if any special materials are needed. She will notify her volunteer assistant(s) to be present. In the event the Lead Teacher is unavailable on a given day, she will arrange for one of her assistants to substitute. It is not always necessary that two assistants and the Lead Teacher be present. It is desirable that the same assistant(s) work with a Lead Teacher.
The children will not need food or drinks during the one-hour session. Only on special occasions such as birthdays, holidays, etc. will refreshments be appropriate, and then only if the Lead Teacher decides. On those occasions the Lead Teacher should notify the ACC staff of the plan.
This program description was revised by its author, Pat Herndon October 5, 2009.
Kids' Books @ ACC
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Features and Benefits of the Tutorial/Mentoring Program
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