Monrovia Mentoring Program to Restart in January

Originally developed and launched pre-Covid 19, the Monrovia Mentoring Program was underway in 2019 for Monrovia’s middle school students to develop resiliency skills.  It’s no surprise that children are exposed at a younger age to stresses and influences that expose them beyond their years. This mentoring program provided a set weekly schedule with an evidence-based program for youth to work alongside an adult mentor before school or during their lunch hour.

Unfortunately, this program was a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic and as schools across the country were moving to online learning, this program was halted. Originally written and sponsored by the Community Foundation of Morgan County (CFMC), and with partnered approval in Morgan County schools, the program was set-up for success with weekly mentoring content and a set schedule yet fell apart due to not being able to meet in-person with mentees.

It’s true that now more than ever, our children have a high need for community-based interventions. Thankfully partnerships like Monrovia Middle School and Principal Becky McPherson are working to intervene on behalf of her students. “Children thrive when they are surrounded by stable, consistent, and meaningful relationships with caring adults. Quality mentoring relationships help youth succeed and research has shown that youth who have a mentor do experience better educational and vocational outcomes than their unmentored peers”, says Principal McPherson.

Mentors will be partnered with 2-3 students in the 7^th or 8^th grade and work on skills such as setting goals, examining their strengths and weaknesses and how to persevere, as well as cultivating a growth mindset. These skills are valuable to have as they enter high school, as well as the work force.  Our hope is that through the mentoring program our students will be better prepared for life after middle school.

The Monrovia Mentoring Program is set to kick-off with an evening training program in January. We are still looking for adult mentors who wish to attend the training and mentor 7^th and 8^th grade students in the school setting, have consistent availability for weekly sessions, and are passionate about making a difference in children’s’ lives. Interested persons are encouraged to contact Monrovia Middle School Principal, Becky McPherson at rmcpherson@m-gsd.org.