Listen to thisILLINOIS
Doing nothing in our schools is not an option
With the new school year comes renewed hope for our future, as individuals, families, communities and as a nation. The timing could not be better for us to Start Something to make a difference.
Last year’s release of the film “Waiting for Superman” was a sobering wake-up call that our nation faces a crisis which is draining productivity and already limited resources. As we grapple for solutions – more funding for schools, better training for teachers, more involvement from parents – research points to something that we know works: quality mentoring.
Long-standing independent studies widely quoted by mentoring advocates and programs find children enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters’ long-term mentoring programs are more likely than their peers to earn higher grades and are less likely to skip classes and school days, factors linked to high school graduation. Not surprisingly, the same studies find children in these long-term quality mentoring programs are also more likely than their peers to avoid violent and unhealthy behaviors and more likely to have positive relationships with their parents and others.
Most children enrolled in Big Brothers Big Sisters’ nearly 380 mentoring agencies are children of single, low-income and incarcerated parents.
According to one research study by Public Private Ventures for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, young people who meet regularly with mentors are 46 percent less likely to begin using illegal drugs, 27 percent less likely to begin drinking alcohol, 52 percent less likely to skip school and 33 percent less likely to engage in combative behavior than their peers who don’t spend time with mentors. They are also more confident in their performance on schoolwork and better able to get along with their parents and families.
You can change a life when you start something ... one hour at a time. If you are an adult who is concerned about the future of the children in our community, you have a great chance to get involved through Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Illinois’ program. There are various ways to help:
The traditional program matches an adult to a youth 6-16 who is in need of a one-on-one relationship 6-8 hours a month, with a one-year commitment.
The In-School Mentoring Program pairs an adult to a student, for one hour a week at the school for the school year. You may ask, “Why should I mentor?” The benefits are many and may include knowing that you are making a difference in a child’s life, or simply knowing that someone needs you.
Mentoring offers the opportunity to make a new friend and gain new experience and knowledge about the school system. Most importantly, mentoring contributes to the quality of the future workforce in our communities.
There are positive outcomes for the student as well, including reduced tardiness and absences, improved life skills such as goal setting, anger management, decision-making and problem solving. In the process, the student learns to communicate appropriately and effectively with adults and peers. The mentoring process matches students and volunteers according to the mentor’s strengths, the child’s needs and shared interests.
The Big Brothers Big Sisters Program of Northwest Illinois, a program of FHN Family Counseling Center, has been assisting students in Stephenson and Jo Daviess counties since 1996. The mentors are ordinary people like you who care about the future of our young people. They come from all walks of life, all economic and educational backgrounds, but they all have one thing in common – a commitment to making the community a better place for children.
Sharon Mockridge
12 October 2011
