Mentor2Win

What is a mentor?  One definition says that a mentor is an individual, usually older, always more experienced, who helps and guides another individual’s development. This guidance is not done for personal gain.  But mentors are so much more.  My personal mentors have made all the difference in my life.  I sometimes wonder where I would be without them.  I think about the youth we encounter each day at the Boys & Girls Club of New Haven and wonder where they might be without us.   The United Way of Greater New Haven (UWGNH) has helped to ensure that we continue to be there for the kids who need us most, through their support of our Afterschool Program.

Recently the Boys & Girls Club of New Haven’s “Youth of the Year,” Eli Reaves, made a presentation at the State Capitol and credited his Boys & Girls Club “family” with helping him to “accomplish things I never thought I could.”  True mentoring is about inspiring dreams and helping kids to develop the confidence to know that they can achieve them. 

Often as youth development professionals we are eager to get kids involved in our programs to “change” their behavior or outlook, but sometimes kids just aren’t ready for change.   Great programs can be powerful tools and are certainly necessary, but it’s really about the people implementing those programs.  It’s about those trusted adults who are working everyday to help many of our kids change their minds and move from despair to hope and ultimately to change.   That’s what it means to mentor.  It’s hanging in there with that young person, telling them they have value and infinite potential and then witnessing the moment they actually start believing it. 

Mentoring has always been at the heart of the Club experience, but this year our entire team has renewed our focus as mentors to provide one-to-one mentoring and build lasting relationships with the kids we serve, especially those most at risk.  We’re also reaching beyond our walls to develop new partnerships to expand one-to-one mentoring opportunities for our members.  Just as a Boys & Girls Club staff member’s one-to-one work with each boy or girl is the key ingredient to deepening impact, a volunteer mentor’s personal attention and guidance can truly open new doors of hope and opportunity for them.

The Club has enlisted the support of volunteers and launched three mentoring initiatives to ensure that all of the youth we serve are mentored effectively.  MENTOR2WIN is helping those most at risk to achieve success in academics, health, character and citizenship.  Throughout the year we have recruited adult volunteers and provided training to implement this important initiative.  We currently have participants from the Yale Club of New Haven, the State’s Attorneys Office, colleges and universities and fraternal organizations. 

BE GREAT: Graduate is a Club and community-wide strategy intended to prevent young people from dropping out of school.  It is a model of sustained intervention for promoting students' engagement with school and learning. The model's main components are the mentor - youth relationship and the club-school-family partnership.

Emerging Young Leaders (EYL)is designed to develop the skills and talents of middle school girls, grades 6-8.  The program encourages high scholastic achievement through Leadership Development, Educational Enrichment, Civic Engagement & Character Building.  This is a signature program of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc and conducted in partnership with the Tau Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., who serve as mentors to 15 young women. 

While all of these initiatives are deepening impact and demonstrating success – it’s not simply about the program – it’s about the people.  These programs work because of the people committed to them - staff, volunteer mentors, parents, our community partners like UWGNH and most importantly the kids who continue to dream big – despite the obstacles they may face.  It’s up to all of us to help them realize their dreams.  

In the words of John Legend:

                So dark, but I see sparks, if we don't snuff them out.
                We gotta light the flame, let them speak their name.
                Let them reach up to the clouds

                Hold them close, let them know they'll get through the night
                Ordinary people could be a hero, don't blow out the light.
                Let them shine…let them shine on

When we mentor, we ALL win.