We’ve all learned to pivot and adjust in the last few months and that includes the CEHS Mentor program that has continued despite our move to remote interactions. Five 1:1 mentor partnerships that were initiated in the pre-Covid school year have continued under remote guidelines developed in partnership with PCES School Counselor Brianne Gallagher.
Weekly mentor sessions begin when Mentor Coordinator John Holdridge sends a google meet invite to the mentor and mentee’s parents. After a quick check in with the partners and the mentee’s parents, John steps out of the meeting and the pairs spend about 30 minutes together, talking, reading, or playing games. Aside from minor technical issues, all 5 partnerships have found their groove as comfort levels with the remote environment have increased.
In addition to the current programming, plans are underway to partner with Thomas Memorial Library to create a flexible remote mentor program that can continue into the summer months. Building on the existing Reading Buddies program at TML, we're working to develop a system to allow mentors to make themselves available for homework help, English language learning, reading, or general hangout time. Once the system is in place parents will be able to book appointments for their children to spend time with a high school mentor.