| Online Conversation with your mentee | |
| We won a grant and now can introduce e-Mentoring!
Do you sometimes have difficulty getting a hold of your mentee? Maybe you miss each other's phone messages or you don't know if a sibling has passed the message along that you called. Whatever the reason, we have all experienced this one particular challenge. The good news - we have a new way to reach your mentee.....through email!
We are pleased to announce the launch of iMentor Interactive (iMi). This online message system provides a secure, safe, way to interact with your mentee anytime of the day or night. Simply log into this website address and follow the prompts to start communicating with your mentee.
Cassie trained active mentors during the week of September  8th who will in turn train their mentees on the use of iMi. Every mentoring match enters in an "intake" or an application and evaluation form on the site, and then program staff can conduct the matching between the adult and mentee. After the matching is complete, the mentoring communication can begin.
An exciting aspect to this email communication system is that your mentoring match will receive a "writing prompt", a conversation starter, twice each month. The writing prompt discusses a question or statement and then asks the mentee and mentor to respond to one another about the subject. All writing prompts are tested and evaluated to ensure they are topics of interest to mentoring matches and especially mentees.
We hope you enjoy the new way to reach out to your mentee. If you need technical assistance or have questions, please contact Cassie Alaniz at 385-8126.
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| Peer Mentors in Henry County | |
| High School students as mentors
Over the past year the waiting list for Henry County children to receive a mentor can be anywhere from 2 months to 12 months. The children and youth are anxiously waiting for an adult to volunteer their time and also for the right personality match of the mentor. Waiting for an adult male to volunteer can take even longer!
In an effort to recruit more mentors for the children of our county, and shorten the waiting time, the HCMP piloted a High School Peer Mentor program in New London and Winfield-Mt. Union School Districts last spring. It was a big success with both parents, youth, and mentors wanting it to continue this year.
We are happy to announce that a full-year Peer Mentor program has started in both Winfield-Mt. Union and New London School Districts. During the initial recruitment period, 16 WMU High School students volunteered as mentors. It is going to be an exciting year as we will be able to match more children with a positive role-model and friend!
Thank you WMU and New London School Districts!! |
| Iowa Wesleyan College Mentors | |
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 IWC is back in session and that means MORE MENTORS!
On August 25th, HCMP participated in the Community and Student Organization Fair held on the campus lawn. Organized by the new Director of Student Activities, Ashley Lang, the HCMP was able to promote our program and introduce IWC students to the possibility of mentoring.
Many of the IWC students had volunteered with children in their hometowns and were excited about the opportunity to work with our program here in Mt. Pleasant. At the end of the day, 23 IWC students had signed up to participate in an orientation/training to be held on September 16th on campus.
All IWC Mentors are background screened, trained, and prepared for the year-long experience of mentoring a local Henry County youth. The IWC Mentors participate in our school-based program and will mentor at Mt. Pleasant area elementary schools and the middle school. |
