VIPS to Hold Mentoring Information Session

A meeting for individuals interested in participating in school-based mentoring programs has been scheduled by the Falmouth Volunteers In Public Schools (VIPS) program. The meeting will be held at the Morse Pond School on November 30, 2011 beginning at 9:30 a.m. The introductory session will be followed by a meeting of returning mentors, beginning at 10:00 a.m. VIPS is pleased to host special guest speaker Dr. Roberta C. D’Antona, who will speak to mentors and guests about Bullying and Bullying Prevention.
 
Dr. D’Antona is one of the leading experts on bullying. She travels to school districts and conferences in Massachusetts and around the country speaking on bullying prevention in schools. Her dissertation, titled “Breaking Through the Line—Bullying and Athletics:  A High School Anti-harassment Program,” was based on a 2-year quantitative study. She developed bullying and harassment awareness and training programs for students and teachers. D’Antona is a certified national trainer in the Olweus Bully Prevention program, and an advisor to Sesame Street Workshop Project on Bullying. She is the author of several publications, including The Comfort Zone:  Providing a Safe and Bully Free Environment for School Age Childcare (2008), 101 Facts About Bullying:  What Everyone Should Know (2008), and Tackling Bullying in Athletics (2010). She is also a consultant to the “Words Can Work:  Bullying True Stories” curriculum and DVD.
 
Volunteer mentors are always needed! At the elementary and middle school levels, students are selected to participate in Project RISE by teachers, school adjustment counselors, or parents who believe that these students would benefit from having a caring adult as a friend. Each year, students in need of a mentor are left unmatched because we do not have enough mentors. By spending one hour each week with a child in a one-on-one, trusting relationship, a mentor can change the direction that child takes in his or her life.
 
Mentors are also needed at the high school level. High school students in need of a mentor are typically freshmen or sophomores who may be having difficulty adjusting to the high school environment where they are faced with many difficult challenges and decisions. An adult volunteer, by spending one hour a week in friendly conversation with the student, can help the student deal with the many pressures teens encounter.
 
The strength of the mentor—mentee relationship gives the student the tools he or she may need to become more self-assured and able to withstand adverse peer pressure. Students involved in school-based mentoring programs found they:  enjoyed spending time with their mentors; could count on their mentors; learned new things; participated in a variety of experiences; and wanted to continue in the program. Mentors noted that they:  enjoyed being with their mentees; had learned from their mentees; and believed that mentees had obtained new information regarding careers, higher education, and problem-solving techniques.
 
The VIPS school-based mentoring programs have been recognized by the Mass Mentoring Partnership’s Quality-based Membership Program, achieving Partner Member status this past spring. Partner member programs must demonstrate high standards for mentor training and program evaluation.
 
Mentoring is rewarding! There are students waiting for a mentor friend at all grade levels. Anyone who is interested in learning more about mentoring through these VIPS programs is welcome on November 30th. New mentors are provided training prior to starting and throughout the school year. For more information, or to learn more about mentoring opportunities available for the 2011-12 school year, contact the VIPS office at (508) 548-1621 or by e-mail at vips@falmouth.k12.ma.us.