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Climb Aboard! It's Back-to-School with FLOW Mentoring!  A warm welcome to our FLOW family and friends, new and old. We are excited to begin the 2011-2012 school year with you and eager to see the mentoring programs up and running again in each of our schools this month. This year, we are so grateful to have many of our mentors, site leaders, and mentor teachers returning to the program and continuing their important work and relationships. We are also thrilled to welcome many new participants in these three critical roles. We are so appreciative of all of you who are giving your time to support our student mentees. You mean a lot to them! |
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Highlights from FLOW's 2010-2011 Year
 
  
  
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Last year, our third year running, was a productive, ambitious year for FLOW. From a long list of activities, outings, special events and achievements, we would like to highlight the following:
- FLOW Mentoring paired over 270 young people grades 4-12 in all 26 of our schools with caring and responsible mentors.
- FLOW organized two local workshop promoting the importance of mentoring. The first event took place at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Breakfast at St. Mary's College. Later in the winter, FLOW hosted Charlie Applestein, a nationally recognized youth care specialist.
- Across St. Mary's County, FLOW mentoring programs decided on meaningful ways they could serve their community; from work in a local food pantry to letters of support to a soldier at war, FLOW participants found wonderful ways to give back.
- The FLOW Mentoring program took part in the National Mentoring Summit in January where Michele Obama was a keynote speaker.
- The LHS FLOW group hosted the first ever "FLOWetry" Slam.
- Together, mentors and mentees celebrated numerous holidays and engaged in other seasonal activities in fun and original ways.
- Site leaders and mentors at the different schools found ways to bring some prominent professionals in our community into the schools to work with and speak to our mentee groups.
- Students in the high school FLOW programs were invited to attend Dr. Ben Carson's THINK BIG presentation in Baltimore.
- Elementary and Middle School FLOW students held a T-shirt design contest. The winning designs were printed on shirts for all participants.
Most importantly, through all these celebrations and activities, outings and workshops, there were critical friendships and formative bonds created. We celebrate them all. Thank you again to all of you who made 2010-2011 such a great year of mentoring in the St. Mary's County public schools! |
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Research Tells Us...
...that you can make a difference in the life of a child.
It's pretty simple. By building a trusting friendship with a child you can make a powerful impact on his/her life. That's what it's all about.
Here are some thoughts on making a difference:
- Consistently sharing activities together is the biggest factor in forming a positive relationship with them.
- Deciding together what activities to do fosters a stronger relationship.
- By being there you are making a difference even if you don't think you are.
- If you're concerned about not making a difference, talk it over with your school Site Leader.
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School-Based Mentoring
Benefits to the Child:
- 64% Developed a more positive attitude toward school
- 58% Achieved higher grades
- 55% Were better able to express their feeling
- 64% Developed greater self-esteem
- 62% Were more likely to trust their teachers
From "Big Brothers Big Sisters School Mentoring Evaluation of Five Pilot Programs"
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Other research suggests school-based mentoring promotes these important outcomes for youth mentees:
- REDUCED truancy and absenteeism (read about how strong afterschool programs can help this problem in the Mentoring in the News section below)
- INCREASED youth perceptions of academic ability and success
- REDUCED school-related misconduct
- IMPROVED peer support and relations
Research compiled from three major school-based mentoring) studies by Wheeler, Keller, and DuBois, 2010.
In other words, mentoring CAN and DOES make a difference!
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Become a Mentor
Few bonds in life are more influential than those between a young person and an adult.
Have you thought of becoming a mentor?
Are you someone who has...?:
- A sincere desire to be involved with a young person.
- Respect for young people.
- An ability to be an active listener.
- An ability to show empathy.
- An instinct for seeing solutions and opportunities.
- An attitude of flexiblity and openness.
- A willingness to take time to get to know someone new and to learn new things .
Those who have been mentors or mentees know that the mentoring experience is a shared opportunity for learning and growth. Many mentors say that the rewards they gain are as substantial as those for their mentees.
Please visit our website or contact Sarah Tyson, Program Manager, if you wish to learn learn more about becoming a mentor for 2011-2012.
"I became a mentor because I thought it would be a great way to make a positive difference in the life of a young person. That thought turned out to be an understatement. Every opportunity that my youth and I have to talk and listen to one another teaches me something about her and something about myself. She's never had an adult in her life who listened to her feelings and opinions without judging her or criticizing her or trying to fix her. And to be that person whom she trusts is truly an amazing experience that has taught me more about myself than any other volunteering I've ever done."
-Renee, mentor for 1 year: Mentoring Stories, http://boysandgirlsaid.org/programs/mentoring-stoires/ 
| Winning t-shirt design for FLOW
elementary school participants |
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Mentoring In the News
Sports Legends Lead the Way In First Ever Celebrity-Amateur MENTOR's Golf Challenge
Read about 18 American sports legends and business celebrities who participated in the inaugural Mentor's Champions Golf Challenge in Long Island earlier this month, raising money for MENTOR: the National Mentoring Partnership.
click here to read this article
Good Afterschool = Better School Day Attendance
A new study by Public/Private Ventures underscores the important role that engaging afterschool programs can play in encouraging students to come to school regularly.
click here to read this article
The Three P's of Mentoring
Sarah Walls, a mentor for AmeriCorps and Friends-Boston, reflects on what she has learned working one-on-one with her mentee. She comments on "the importance of making this long-term commitment and the knowledge that even when it's difficult to see, she is making a difference."
click here to read this article
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Become a mentor in 2011-12
If you would like to learn more about FLOW Mentoring, or are interested in becoming a mentor during the 2011-12 school year, please visit our website at: www.smcps.org/mentor or contact Sarah Tyson at the address below.
Mark Smith, Sarah Tyson, and Susan Bisson Lambert
Your FLOW Mentoring team
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FLOW Mentoring
St. Mary's County Public Schools
Department of College and Career Readiness
24005 Point Lookout Road
Leonardtown, MD 20650
Phone: 301-475-0242 x.112
Fax: 301-475-0245
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