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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
Michael Pfeiffer
Program 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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Greetings Mentoring Friends! |
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We at Mentor Kenosha & Racine hope you are off to wonderful start this new year! By now your mentee is halfway through the school year and is working hard on the goals you set together, all while working hard on their academics. This is a great time to touch base with the school counselor, or a teacher, to evaluate how your mentee is doing. Ask them if there is any additional support you can provide. Whether its through social, academic, or school engagement goals, a mentor can make a big difference in helping your mentee have a successful year.
This is a larger than usual newsletter, as we have lots to share with you! Please let us know how we can continue to provide you with valuable information that will help strengthen your mentoring relationships.
Crista
Mentor Kenosha & Racine Manager |
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Thank You!
For joining us for another successful
Mentoring Conference |
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Mentor KR was very pleased to host the 6th Annual Mentor Conference on January 18th this year, and would like to thank all who attended. There was an excellent array of expert speakers during the the breakout sessions, and a fantastic youth mentoring panel too!
The youth panel, which was a new addition to the mentoring conference, proved to be a big hit with all of our attendees. Dr. Susan "Dr. Mentor" Weinberger led a very impactful discussion where mentors and mentees alike shared their friendships, challenges, and aspirations with the attendees at the conference. It truly was great to hear the experiences and advice of mentors and their mentees who are active in the community right now.
Melissa Diener of the Racine Co. Police Department, helped open up our conference with a wonderful speech. Her efforts to launch the Police Pals Mentoring Program should be highly commended as she works to help expand the mentoring community in our area. The Racine Journal Times has highlighted her efforts in an article which you can Read all about Melissa's new program!
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Conference Award Winners and Honorable Mentions |
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While everyone in our mentoring community is highly revered for their work, and we all benefit from the power of youth mentoring, Mentor KR would like to take a moment to honor those nominated for the Mentor of the Year award. It was a tough call making a decision! We thank all of the programs for sharing all of the wonderful stories reminding us about the positive impact mentors are making in the lives of youth every day.
2013 MKR Mentor of the Year:
Ellen Przybylski (RSVP-Kenosha)
Read her winning nomination here!
Honorable Mentions
Anthi Jerow
Harriett Wilson
Susan Radke
Claire Ackley
2013 Program Leadership Award
Mentor RUSD
 David Powers who heads Mentor RUSD has shown exemplary commitment to the program. His innovative practices and intensive mentor matching service has made Mentor RUSD a very successful program. Congrats, Dave! you've done a great job.
2013 Outstanding Mentor Program Practices
KABA Mentoring Program
With a mentor program that has been established since  1997, KABA has had plenty of experience in mentoring practices. Following the best practices set by the national MENTOR partnership standards, KABA has consistently provided a great outcome for our community. Thank you, KABA, for your work. The award was well earned!
We would also like to congratulate Jim Strecker of Kenosha Bible Church for winning in our Kindle Fire raffle! We hope Jim enjoys many hours of happy reading, and playing with his brand new gadget!
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2nd Offering! Mentoring Certificate Beginning April 12, 2013 |
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Mentoring Certificate
We're doing it again! MKR is offering you the chance to get certified to mentor youth in the community. This course is great for anyone who wants to make a difference in a young person's life. With this certification, your organization or business will have the skill set needed to start or enhance your own mentor program. This course is offered in collaboration with MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership.
The course runs for three Fridays of April 12, 26, and May 10, and includes additional online instruction. Scholarships are available for those with financial need.
Click here for more information or to Register!
Nonprofit Leadership Certificate
The Center of Community Partnerships at UW Parkside is offering her annual course in nonprofit leadership, beginning this month. Through the series of modules that occur throughout the semester, you can gain valuable information on creating and leading your own nonprofit organization.
"Are you someone who wants to make a change in the world? You can do that through a career in the nonprofit sector. Explore how this two-semester non-credit certificate program in nonprofit leadership can provide you with the skills, resources, and connections you will need."
Debra will also be holding a FREE information session for students who are interested in the program on Monday, February 11 from noon-1 in the Poplar Room of the Student Center. For more information, please click here to learn about the program. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to make a difference in the world!
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Magnificent Mentor Spotlight
Meet Jean Nelson |
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Jean Nelson is an employee of the Racine County Child Support Dept and Has previously volunteered as a mentor for RUSD. She as now been with her mentee for over three years! Jean was kind enough to share her experience in mentoring and offer her own wisdom to aspiring mentors.
Tell us briefly about your history as a mentor.
I started about three years ago with a 6th grader. It was kind of towards the end of her school year, around April, because I had come in towards the end of her mentoring season. I only saw her a few times before school was out, and then started her up again the next year and also for her 8th grade year. So it's been about three and a half years now.
For me it was initially a tough decision to make, because I had never done something like this before. I looked at it, because of my age and the generation gap between myself and these kids, and I thought that I might not "fit." The mentoring staff told me that the different things I have experienced as a grandmother could possibly be passed forward and shared as a mentor, so I thought about it and prayed, which guided me to give it a shot.
What drew you to mentoring youth?
We were both very shy in the beginning, which kind of drew us together. So we just started talking together, asking her about siblings and pets, and told her a little bit about myself as well. And we just sort of grew from there
You just sort of clicked.
Yeah, we just sort of clicked, and that really drew me into the experience.
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Remember, we're always looking to hear about your mentoring experiences! 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 story, or a mentor in mind, please feel free to submit a short blurb to pfeif013@rangers.uwp.edu. |
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Here are some more great activity ideas from Mentor Michigan! This mentoring powerhouse is the helping hand to over 250 other mentoring organizations! Take a look at what they have to offer and maybe you'll find that next great bonding activity for you and your mentee.
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EXTRA!!! Read All About It!
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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