Cobb Mentoring Matters

We had our first Mentor Training for the new school year. Our topic was on E-Cigarettes and Vaping. This is a new epidemic that is impacting our students. It was important to share this information to our mentors. Another tool for their toolbox. We were fortunate to have Victoria Russell a Public Health Educator for Cobb & Douglas Public Health Department. She shared some eye opening information to the group. It was not by chance that that evening this segment was aired on WSB-TV. This just reinforced the concern for our youth as well as what strides are being done with regards to legislation and research. https://www.cbs46.com//video_006c59a2-fa8a-59c5-bd89-e1721

As a mentoring Best Practice, having training sessions a couple time a years is a critical part of the mentoring experience. In February mentors attended the Out of the Darkness training on Sex Trafficking Jeff Shaw, the programs director lead a griping conversations with mentors about just the kinds of red flags that mentors and the community at large can be aware of.

Group Matches! This school year brought a number of mentors that wanted to work with a small group of students. Shaqua Harley, Student Intern conducted the LEAP group of 5 students from Austell (Leadership, Experience, Accountability and Power) North Metro Martial Arts with its founder Scott Tasker. For the last 3 years Mr. Tasker has worked with Nickajack Elementary School for its after-school mentoring program teaching the students about Marital Arts. He masterfully incorpo...rates, mentoring, leadership and accountability. Over 20 students participated this year adding students from Smyrna and Labelle Elementary Schools. Mr. Tasker was the Mentor of the Year for 2019 Bfly Girls, came on board this year at Milford Elementary School Glenda Upp stepped up through the program mentoring 4 girls. Their Mission: To change the lives of young girls by providing positive and successful experiences that enrich their conditions; while encouraging adults to take responsibility for the outcomes of young girls.

For the second year since being contacted by this group they have sponsored our Cobb Mentoring Matters End of the Year Picnic. https://www.projectwecare1.com/ Our picnic is a great opportunity for Mentors, Mentee’s and Parents to meet! Always strengthens the match relationship!!

#ThankYourMentor

Cobb Mentoring Matters is back for another exciting year of mentoring. The 2017-2018 school year brought in 36 new mentors. The year was filled with a lot of excitement and progress for our students and our mentors. The program continues to grow deep roots in the schools which results in establishing relationships that matter. Most of our returning mentors request to remain working with their previous student. This achieves the ultimate goal for our students to develop a life...long friendship with their mentors. In the event that the student is no longer at the school, mentors are asked to be re-matched with a new student. School counselors and teachers understand the value in having a caring adult to serve as a mentor, which ultimately provides students support, academically and/or socially, especially regarding peer issues. We receive a number of requests that require a specific skillset and are also time sensitive. To this end, Cobb Mentoring Matters will continue to provide quality meaningful training to our mentors, keeping them engaged and relevant. Our community partners serve as a tremendous support to our program, quality mentors, and in-kind donations, such as sponsorships for the holidays and hygiene bags or monetary donations. All of which help us to keep the program resilient. I am proud to report that our districts’ mentoring program is a one of a kind. Relationship with our national affiliate, Mentor: The National Mentoring Partnership ensures that we keep pace with the research and best practices of mentoring. In closing, if you have a heart to serve and a love for children, please do not hesitate to give us a call and Join Our Movement.