MENTORING SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

• Recruit a Mentoring Program Director
  


• Identify Potential Sources for Volunteer Mentors
  


• Training Mentors
  


• Matching Mentors With Students
  


• Structuring the Mentor Relationship
  


• Additional Information on Mentoring
  


• Sample Mentor Application
  


• Sample Mentoring Program Goals
  


• "Mentor" - A Poem
  

Mentoring programs can be of great benefit to Single Parent Scholarship Funds. They create a direct link between scholarship recipients and community volunteers. The support and encouragement offered by mentors further strengthens the self-confidence and emotional well being of students who often face more than their fair share of difficulties.

Simply put, a mentor is actively interested in a student's personal and academic success and encourages the student to reach his/her fullest potential. A mentor is a listener who calmly offers attention, care, and concern to the student. Although not a professional counselor, a mentor can be a “proactive” friend who is empathetic to the student's situation and may have suggestions for solving problems based upon his/her own life experiences.

Mentors represent an aspect of the Single Parent Scholarship Fund that does not involve money. The fact that one cares enough to participate in a mentoring program suggests that the community itself is a source of caring and comfort to those struggling with the everyday burdens of single parent life. Mentors provide a shoulder to lean on, a word of encouragement, or a listening ear when the single parent needs it most.

The following are suggested guidelines that affiliates should consult as they begin to establish their own mentoring program.

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Recruit a Mentoring Program Director:
Depending on the number of students who express an interest in having mentors, the responsibility of developing and implementing the mentoring program may require a good deal of coordination, communication, and training. If a board member or affiliate volunteer is willing to accept a leadership role in planning the project and maintaining it, his/her commitment would insure its success.

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Identify Potential Sources for Volunteer Mentors:
Members of your board of directors are a fertile source for mentoring volunteers. They are familiar with what you do, have participated in interviews with the students, and will want to maintain contact with students on a regular basis.

Donors may also be interested in becoming mentors, particularly those who may have been single parents or the children of single parents.

Another pool of possible mentors is former scholarship recipients who are now employed locally and understand exactly what present recipients are going through.

Beyond board members, donors, and students, there are many members of civic organizations, churches, and other volunteer groups who are frequently willing to offer their time and effort as mentors.

Retirees with a lifetime of professional experience are another particularly appropriate contact group.

One way to initiate contact with potential mentors is to write a letter either directly to the potential mentor or to the heads of local organizations explaining the mentoring program and inviting them to participate. The letter should be followed by a phone call further explaining the program, the benefits it provides to students, and the commitment you are asking the individual to make. Do not forget that some of the best representatives of Single Parent Scholarship Funds are the students themselves. Asking students to become involved in the recruitment process may be a very effective way of attracting volunteers!

An application for mentors used by the SPSF of Benton County can be seen on page 9-5. An adaptation of this application can be used to solicit information from prospective mentors, in preparation for selection.

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Training Mentors:
It is critically important to the success of a mentoring program that volunteer mentors have a clear idea of what their volunteer position entails. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that a one-on-one orientation meeting between the volunteer coordinator or program director and the prospective mentor take place before he/she is selected. By getting to know each mentor and conveying to each the responsibilities of mentoring, the volunteer coordinator or program director will be able to better match him/her with a student. If such a meetings are difficult to arrange on an individual basis, group orientation can accomplish the same goal.

Orientation should inform mentors of the goals of mentoring and the responsibilities each mentor assumes when he/she volunteers. Specifically, the time commitment and the types of contacts expected should be clearly outlined. For those who have not served on an Affiliate board and who have had limited contact with single parent students, a description of the typical experiences of low-income single parent students may be very helpful. The presence of one or more single parents who can give first-hand accounts of their life experiences would allow mentors to ask questions of those they are offering to help.

Providing information on mentor responsibilities and expectations is important. Equally significant are the rewards that mentors receive from being volunteers: making a difference in the lives of others, broadening their own horizons, enriching their own lives as well as others, learning, and growing themselves.

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Matching Mentors With Students:
In evaluating the field of volunteers willing to be mentors and the students requesting mentors, common sense dictates that those with similar interests and experiences will most benefit from the mentoring relationship. A common ground for comfortable interaction is vital. Matching the career interest of the student with the professional experiences and skills of a mentor is the best of all possible combinations.

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Structuring the Mentor Relationship:
It is highly recommended that the mentor and the student meet for the first time face to face. This could be at a group gathering of all the mentors and students or a one-on-one setting. It is very important the two be introduced, get to know each other, and exchange contact information. Following the initial meeting, it will be up to the two of them to further develop their relationship. Monthly contacts, at a minimum, are essential to the value of the relationship. The contacts should be made in a way that is helpful to the student and rewarding to the mentor.

Reporting by the mentors on their experiences is crucial to the improvement of the mentoring project as a whole. Likewise, feedback from the students will offer valuable insight from their perspective. The mentoring project coordinator should work with those involved to make reporting as easy as possible. A good reporting system will also prove helpful in future training.

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Additional Information on Mentoring:
There are several sources of information on mentoring available in Arkansas. Selena Ellis with the DHS Office of Volunteerism offers mentoring training. She can be reached in Little Rock at 800-682-7540, extension 27540. Jean Tinesley has been instrumental in developing the Benton County SPSF Mentoring Program and is most willing to offer advice and information to others throughout the state. She can be reached at (479)925-6253 or by writing to her at 8464 Par Lane, Rogers, AR 72756. Many thanks to Jean for providing the information used in this section!

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