In order to meet the critical need for parental/family
involvement in the Norwalk Mentor Program, the F.A.M.I.L.Y. Initiative - Families
And Mentors Involved in Learning for Youth -was established in the Fall of 1993 with
a pilot grant from the W.K. Kellogg Company. The Initiative continues to be funded
through grants, and it enables mentors, students and their families to get together for
informal evening events which include a simple meal, a workshop or speaker to address
pertinent subjects and a fun activity in which all attendees can engage. The workshops
and/or speakers address areas such as how to read to and with your child, conflict resolution,
how to obtain a G.E.D. Diploma, how to write a resume, etc. The evening functions also
provide an opportunity for mentors to meet the families of their students and for student family
members to meet the mentor with whom their student is matched.
E-mentoring for High School Mentees
Mentoring at the high school level poses a number of challenges for both
mentor and mentee. Student schedules are significantly more complicated than at any time in
their educational career and mentors very often find it difficult to identify a mutually agreeable
time for their weekly mentor meetings. In an effort to keep mentors and mentees connected through
the senior year of high school with an eye toward maintaining scholarship eligibility, e-mentoring
pilots were born at the high school level. Mentors and mentees are required to meet face-to-face at
least once per month, but may then opt to keep in touch via e-mail during the other three meetings
per month. All e-mail is generated from the mentor's worksite and from the mentee's high school during
the normal school day. Parent permission is obtained prior to beginning the e-mentoring, and school
liaisons monitor the process being sure that all Policies and Procedures are being adhered to.
Collaboration with School-To-Career Program
In order to provide a continuum of services and opportunities for exploration, the
Norwalk Mentor Program collaborates with the Norwalk School-To-Career Program to provide participants
in both programs with the opportunity to explore post-secondary education options as well as career
interest areas. Selected students in both programs are afforded the opportunity to tour and gather
information at the local community college in an effort to make a connection between current studies
and future educational interest areas. Students are then provided with the opportunity to job-shadow
in their career interest area in order to view, first hand, real world career areas, and to further
explore future career options.
