Match. Mesh. Belong.

July 2014

Henry County Agricultural Extension District

Summer G.I.R.L.S.

Summer Club for GIRLS ONLY!

Beginning July 8th, girls entering the 6th grade are invited to attend a G.I.R.L.S. Only Club M at the ISU Extension & Outreach office in Mount Pleasant, The program is FREE to Henry County residents and will meet once a week on Tuesday mornings from 10:00 am - 11:00 am over the course of 4 weeks.

Girls entering the 6th grade are invited to make new friendships, learn new GIRL-ONLY advice, and join in girl related topics such as:

Making new friends in Middle School;
Relationships & Boys;
Make-Up and Hair Styles;
Clothing and Accessorizing;
Building up your Self-Esteem.

The guest speakers and mentors include:

Amanda Rundquist
Jennifer Campbell
Martha Watson
Amy Becker
Candice Becker

The dates and topics are: (10-11am)

July 8th - Who am I?

July 15th - Media and Photo Shop

July 22nd- Friendships

July 29th - Boys & Relationships

On August 5th is our LOCK-IN with all the girls and our FUN evening activities.

To sign up call 385-8126 and ask for Cassie Gerst.

Quick Links

Make a "Post" or "Comment" on our Facebook page

Check out our past Newsletters

Henry County FAIR Schedule

Fourth of July in Eastern Iowa

How do I help a child THRIVE???

All youth need someone to support them, believe in them, and listen to them. If you don't have time to commit to mentoring a youth, there are little ways that you can still imact the youth in our communities.

Click the link below to learn more about building Assets in the lives of youth....

Ways to Positively Influence Youth

Thanks for helping spread the word! Match. Mesh. Belong. Club M.

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Club M Staff

Cassie Gerst
Program Coordinator

Heidi Hedgecock
Match Support Coordinator

Thank you for supporting the Club M, Henry County Mentoring, youth program. We had a very successful 2013-2014 School Year and are preparing to kick off the new year with a fun opening event in August. Stay tuned for more information on your local KILJ radio station or by visiting our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ClubM.YouthMentoring.

In this issue of the Club M Newsletter, please read our highlights from 2013-2014, information about our summer G.I.R.L.S. Club program, and links to the Henry County Fair. Happy SUMMER!!

Club M Highlights from 2013-2014

Youth report STRONG Relationships

Over the course of the school year the mentees began to form very close relationships with their mentors. Our closing youth surveys had the following results:

89% of our mentees are Highly Satisfied with their mentor/mentee relationship;
92% of mentees were emotionally engaged with their mentor.

When we asked the mentors and youth about their own feelings or choices after meeting with a mentor/mentee during the course of the year, we found:

72% of mentees improved their self-esteem;
69% of mentees improved their ability to express their feelings;
72% of mentees improved their decision making skills;
72% improved their relationships with peers.

Throughout the year we bring in guest speakers and activity stations that have to do with substance abuse prevention, tobacco prevention, and the risks of harm from using illegal substances and alcohol. At the end of the year we surveyed our youth and the results were amazing.

Compared to the start of the school year, our older youth (grades 6-12) who answered positively that they stay away from tobacco, alcohol, and other drugs went from 88% to 100%. Our younger youth response went from 80% to 97%.

Growth in Club M Youth

WMU "Mentor 4 Day" Event

What a fun year we had! Not only did we see the mentoring relationships laugh and grow, but our youth showed that they are thriving!

Our program utilized a survey created by the Search Institute that asks youth 58 questions about how often, or how much, they experience a variety of possible strengths in themselves, with their friends, and in their families, schools, and communities. This survey has been found to be a highly reliable and valid instrument in multiple contexts, cultures, and languages. Our year end results showed significant growth in our older youth (grades 6-12) and in our younger youth (grades K-5). The 8 Categories of Assets that youth need to thrive as an adult are: Support, Empowerment, Boundaries and Expectations, a Constructive Use of Time, Commitment to Learning, Positive Values, Social Competencies, and a Positive Identity. Our results from Pre- to Post- Test are below:

Category	Older Youth Pre	Older Youth Post	Younger Youth Pre	Younger Youth Post
Support	Adequate	Thriving	Adequate	Thriving
Empowerment	Adequate	Adequate	Adequate	Adequate
Boundaries & Expectations	Adequate	Thriving	Thriving	Adequate
Constructive Use of Time	Adequate	Adequate	Adequate	Adequate
Commitment to Learning	Vulnerable	Adequate	Adequate	Adequate
Positive Values	Vulnerable	Adequate	Adequate	Adequate
Social Competencies	Vulnerable	Adequate	Adequate	Adequate
Positive Identity	Vulnerable	Adequate	Adequate	Adequate

Categories of Asset Development:

Thriving (highest level of assets in a youth)

Adequate (average level of assets)

Vulnerable (youth is needing additional assets)

Challenged (lowest number of assets in a youth's life)

Link to Girls Club Event Page