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Mentor Kenosha & Racine Staff: | |
Crista Kruse
Manager
Mentor Kenosha & Racine
(262) 595-2604
Julio Escobedo
Research & Evaluation
(262) 595-2620
David Power
RUSD Mentoring Program(262) 939-1671
Visit David's blog
Paris Ecoles
KUSD Student Engagement and Equity Coordinator
(262) 359-6237
AJ Swartz
Project Management Asst.
Michael Pfeiffer
Student Assist, Newsletter Editor
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Quick Links:
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Mentor Certification Course
  
*Click on the icon to be automatically directed to Mentor Kenosha & Racine's social media sites!* |
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Welcoming the Start of Winter! |
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As the winter months approach us, we hope that the school year is really kicking into full swing with our mentors and mentees. We'll be sure to post any great activities that may come up for this snowy time of year. Now that mentors have gotten a chance to really bond with their mentees, we want to hear from you! If you have a great story to share with the rest of us, please let us know. This is a great way for programs to highlight and recognize mentors, and a great way for mentors to brag about their wonderful mentees. If you have a personal, or a mentor in mind, please feel free to submit a short blurb to pfeif013@rangers.uwp.edu.
Our Annual Mentoring Conference is also fast approaching! Mentors, as well as mentoring program professionals, are invited to attend this event. We're really excited about our keynote Dr. Susan Weinberger and the line up of workshops with excellent presenters! Please click here for details and to register. This year's theme is Unlocking Youth Potential through Mentoring, and we have added more great workshops for this year's conference. Hope to see you there! |
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Congratulations to our first Mentoring Certificate Graduates! |
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Mentor KR would like you to join us in congratulating the following individuals who completed the newly launched Mentor Certificate Course! These hard workers are now certified to help lead the way with mentoring in our community and making a difference in the lives of youth. Please note the organizations that each member belongs to, so that we know where to direct more mentors who want to make a difference.
Breest, Heather Big Sisters of Greater Racine
Davis, Bruce Volunteer Center of Racine Co, Inc.
Diener, Melissa Racine P.D., Cops n' Kids
Greco, Venessa Mentor Kenosha & Racine
Johnson, Mandy Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Koroscik, Dr. Janet RSVP Kenosha
Lehner, Julie Youth for Christ of SE Wisconsin
Muehlbauer, Mrs. Teri Kenosha Area Business Alliance
Power, David RUSD Mentoring Program
Rath, Mary Volunteer Center of Racine Co, Inc.
Robinson, Mr. Shawn Godfather's Program
Swartz, AJ Mentor Kenosha & Racine
Coming soon! Please visit the Mentor KR , or contiuing education webpages on the UW Parkside website for more details on the Spring Mentoring Certificate course dates. |
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SAVE THE DATE!
6th Annual Mentor Conference |
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Mark your calendars for our annual Mentor Conference to be held on January 18th, 2013, we plan to "Unlock Youth Potential through Mentoring," and we would love to see you there!
To register as a Sponsor and/or Exhibitor for this event, please click here. Your sponsorship can do great things to help mentors and professional staff bring valuable services that support the youth of our area!
Our keynote for this year's conference is Dr. Susan Weinberger! She has also been referred to as "Dr. Mentor," and we're very excited to have her join us for the conference. With many years of working in the field of education and mentoring, Dr. Weinberger has a lot to offer in helping us foster healthy and thriving mentoring community! To read her full bio, please click here!
As the leader of our Mentor Consulting Group, Dr. Weinberger will be sharing the future of mentoring, discussing the latest mentor research and how to strengthen current programs. We look forward to her arrival.
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Annual Conference Award Nominations! |
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Now that the conference is approaching us, it's time for YOU to nominate for our awards! Be sure to let us know who you think needs to be recognized as an outstanding mentor, program, or leader.
Upon completing each form, please email to mentorkr@uwp.edu, or send to the following address:
Mentor Kenosha & Racine
Center for Community Partnerships
C/O A.J. Swartz
900 Wood Road
Kenosha, WI 53141
Recipients of these awards will be celebrated and announced at the conference.
-To nominate for OUTSTANDING MENTOR, click here.
-To nominate for OUTSTANDING MENTOR PROGRAM PRACTICES, click here.
-To nominate for MENTOR PROGRAM LEADERSHIP, click here. |
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Mentor KR Embraces Social Media |
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Social Media and technology have been growing exponentially, and Mentor KR wants to keep up so we can better serve you! Social media provides a fast and free way to communicate with our network and keep the mentor community growing in Racine. Our hope is to use the power of facebook, twitter, and other sources to recruit, retain, train, and motivate our mentors.
Please take a few seconds to log on and like us on Facebook and Twitter! The few moments you take to do this will greatly help Mentor KR gain attention in the community. Encourage your friends to like us as well, so our own mentoring community in Kenosha and Racine can grow exponentially.
 
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60 Mentors in 60 Days!
Are you up to the challenge? |
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Mentor KR is in full support of RSVP as they strive to reach their mentoring goal. In the next 60 days, RSVP hopes to get 60 kids off of the waitlist and assigned to a mentor. Are you up the the challenge? Help RSVP reach their goal and make a HUGE difference in a young person's life. See the contact information below:
Janet has kindly included her article that shares statistics on mentoring, as well as a few of the many success stories that RSVP has had with mentors. Click here to read Janet's thoughts and come to understand why mentoring is so important. Whether you believe it or not, the work you can do will make a big difference.
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Private Investigator for the Racine Police Dept. |
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Melissa Diener is an investigator for the Racine Police Department. She was first introduced to MRK through our Mentoring Certificate course and really liked what we had to offer. She now plans to start up her own mentoring program and we're here to help her every step of the way!
1. Tell us about your position and the main responsibilities that come with it.
I'm an investigator with the City of Racine Police Department. I have been on the department for 14 years, and as an investigator for the past 8 years. As of right now I'm in the Sensitive Crime Unit. My main responsibilities are to interview suspects, witnesses, and victims as I am doing follow up on the cases I have been assigned to investigate. I then decide what action should be taken, such as finding a case unfounded, an arrest, and/or a referral to human service, and at times just give advice to the family.
2. And what is the Sensitive Crime Unit?
This unit is responsible for investigations involving domestic violence, crimes against children (child abuse and neglect), sexual assaults, interference with child custody matters, missing persons, and other matters of a sensitive nature.
3. How did you become affiliated with Mentor Kenosha & Racine?
I heard about the Mentoring Certificate course that was being offered at UW-Parkside, and that's how I met Crista. I had talked with her about Mentor Kenosha & Racine providing a scholarship for the police department so that I could attend that training. She informed me that United Way of Racine County had granted a fund to support scholarships for local Racine program staff to help build capacity in mentoring programs. Mentor Kenosha & Racine will also be providing on site training to the officers that have signed up to be Mentors.
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Cool Mentoring Ideas!
Learning Activities |
| MENTOR and the Virginia Mentoring Partnership have provided an awesome list of activities that you can do with your mentee. Some of these are "ice-breaker" activities for when you first meet, but there are plenty of activities to start at any time on your journey! The best part? A lot of these activities are meant for your mentee to learn while you play! Imagine, being able to teach and have fun at the same time. Who would have thought?!
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*EXTRA*Read All About It!*EXTRA*
Mentoring Resources |
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Here are some great links for mentors to find useful tools for mentoring! Use these resources to improve your skills in developing healthy relationships with your mentees. And it's totally free! You have to check this out!
  
Here is also a FREE online course for mentoring. It's an interactive website that gives information from real mentors. Through this course you will gain self-confidence in handling difficult situations, bonding with your mentee and create a stronger relationship. Click the link below to get started!
And yet another great resources called Step-It-Up-2-Thrive. Created by the Thrive Foundation for Youth, it's all about "Sparks," those secret strenghts in your mentee that are waiting to be discovered. Read up so you can find out how to discover the hidden potential in the youth you're mentoring!
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Thanks to our supporting partners:
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Mentoring Messenger
