Peanut butter and jelly. Ham and cheese. Milk and cookies. Some pairs just go together… the perfect fit!
The Hispanic Mentoring Priority of the Community-Based Mentoring Program pairs boys and girls in middle school with a caring adult, using interest surveys to find common ground between mentor and mentee. Jesus is a Lilburn MS 7th grader who works hard in all classes, likes to set goals for himself, and does his best to be a responsible student. (So far, math is his favorite subject.) Staff working with the district’s Hispanic Mentoring Priority found similar traits and much more in Jesus’ mentor, Michael Doyne, the school’s parent instructional support coordinator.
While school counselors, teachers, and family members all play a role in keeping students in school and learning, the involvement of a mentor can make a meaningful difference.
“I became a teacher to try to help young people live meaningful lives,” says Mr. Doyne. “Now that I’m not in the classroom, mentoring Jesus has again given me the opportunity to work with a student to help him figure out where he wants to go in life and help him get there.”
The district’s Community-Based Mentoring program is one program with three priorities. Launched in 2009 to serve African-American boys with mentors from the community, the program has grown over time to include on-site mentoring services at local schools as well as mentoring services for African-American girls, and most recently, Hispanic boys and girls. The program provides mentoring services to identified students to enhance their social and academic development, resulting in our students becoming successful and responsible young adults.
When it comes to matching a mentor and a mentee, we look for the perfect fit, too. Launched in February of 2019, the Hispanic Mentoring Priority serves students who are struggling in school as well as REACH Scholars. (The REACH Georgia Scholarship Program provides promising students with support to graduate from high school and achieve postsecondary success.)
Jesus is one of those REACH Scholarship recipients. Having the support of another adult who can help him pursue his dreams will ensure that Jesus reaches his potential, in school and in life. He needed a mentor who would be there for him… to discuss schoolwork, to offer a lending ear and practical advice, and to help him as he makes decisions about high school opportunities and looks forward to college and career planning. Jesus found that in his mentor.
“I have worked with Jesus for almost a year,” says Mr. Doyne. “I feel fortunate to have been matched with such a fine young man, who comes from a very loving family. I look forward to helping him continue to grow and mature.”
The two— mentor and mentee— are proud to be part of the Lilburn MS community. As the school’s parent coordinator, Mr. Doyne is on campus, so he is able to connect with Jesus throughout the day. And those connections extend to Jesus’ family. This dedicated mentor makes sure that his mentee’s family members have the information and skills they need to support Jesus’ continued success. The result? A teen with a bright future and a mentor who is making a difference.
Our Successful Program
Here are statistics that show the success of our priority serving Hispanic boys and girls:
81 Hispanic boys and girls served in the program in 2018–19 through one-on-one and small-group mentoring
65 Mentors for this priority in 2018–19
5 Schools served by this priority
2019 Year the mentoring priority for Hispanic boys and girls was launched
91% Mentees passing Language Arts class in 2018–19
92% Mentees passing Mathematics class in 2018–19
81% Mentees passing Science class in 2018–19
81% Mentees passing Social Studies class in 2018–19
40% Mentees with fewer than two absences
46% Mentees with fewer than two discipline incidents
How to Get Involved
"The love you give to a child today has endless possibilities of impacting generations to come,” says Nury Castillo Crawford, the director of Academic Support who leads GCPS’ Hispanic Mentoring Priority.
If you are interested in having an impact on generations to come, consider becoming a mentor for the Hispanic Mentoring Priority, which serves boys and girls attending middle schools in the Berkmar, Central Gwinnett, Discovery, Meadowcreek, and Norcross clusters.
To become a mentor in the program, you must be 21 or older, able to commit to a minimum of one year as a mentor, attend a GCPS volunteer mentor training session, and complete a background check and an application. Mentors and their mentees make weekly contact and participate together in one-on-one sessions, group activities, and special events.
Prospective mentors are invited to attend one of these upcoming training sessions:
Thursday, Jan. 30, at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 26, at 8 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The sessions will be held at the Community-Based Mentoring Program offices at Buice Center, located at 1225 Northbrook Parkway in Suwanee.
Learn more about the mentoring program for Hispanic boys and girls by going to our website at www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/mentoring, calling Ms. Crawford at 770-277-4489, or by sending an email.