Mentors Sought To Guide West Hartford Students

WEST HARTFORD, CT — The local school system is looking for community mentors to guide local pupils on their journeys to adulthood.

To help further students, West Hartford Public Schools will hold a training session on Tuesday, Jan. 24, at West Hartford Town Hall, Room 217, from 6:15 to 8 p.m.

January is National Mentoring Month, and school districts across the country and the state, including West Hartford, are inviting people to become a mentor to one of our students.

The goal is to encourage mentees to take ownership in their communities and, simply, do good.
School officials said, according to National Mentor (mentoring.org), students who are mentored are 52 percent less likely to skip school, 78 percent more likely to volunteer regularly in their communities and 130 percent more likely to hold a leadership position in a club or sports team.

Being a mentor requires no special skills, just a willingness to be there, to listen and to offer friendship, according to an announcement.

"As we continue to deal with the impact that the pandemic has had on our educational system, particularly our youngest students, the need for mentors remains high," wrote West Hartford Public Schools.

"The number of students identified by school staff as candidates for the mentor program is still on the rise, and West Hartford Public Schools Mentor Program is asking for your help to strengthen opportunities for young people within our community."

For more information about mentoring or to sign up for the Jan. 24 training workshop, call Carol Wilkas, mentor program coordinator, at 860-251-9331 or e-mail carol_wilkas@whps.org.