聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 For the past four years the Arcola School has promoted a mentorship program, which benefits elementary and high school students.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The idea to develop the program which pairs up a high school student with an elementary student came from a suggestion of a consultant. In Midale the school had been hosting a successful program and the consultant felt like it was something that would go over well in Arcola.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jennifer Karlunchuk, a teacher at Arcola, learned more about the program and quickly implemented it in the school. At the beginning of the year students from grade 10 to 12 sign up to be mentors and are then paired with an elementary student. This year she has help from the School Community Liaison, Dan Graf.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Marcedes Singleton (grade 11) and Chalis Harambura (grade 12) both signed up as mentors in their grade 10 year and have enjoyed taking on the role of mentor to younger students. Each decided to join because of their love of working with kids and have continued on because of this as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淓ach kid has their own personality and to get to work with a new one each year is a lot of fun and gives you perspective,鈥� Singleton explained.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Harambura agreed that she has learned a lot in her three years with the program and has enjoyed working with the younger students.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The mentorship program organized a skating afternoon on Thursday, Feb. 12, for youth to enjoy.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hroughout the year the high school students mostly plan what they鈥檙e doing with their buddy, but we usually organize a skating day and a playground day, we鈥檝e also sometimes had a potluck鈥︹�� Karlunchuk explained. 鈥淭he skating day is especially fun because those who don鈥檛 get to skate all the time are out there with the biggest smiles on.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Singleton added, 鈥淥ne day a week during lunch hour we鈥檒l either play in the gym, do arts stuff, play board games, and eat lunch with them. We also do picnics as a group once it鈥檚 nicer out.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This year the program has approximately 45 kids participating. There were 23 older students who signed up to be a part of the program.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e try to keep it down to one younger student with an older student because that one-on-one positive role model interaction is what we鈥檙e after although sometimes two younger students will be with an older one,鈥� Karlunchuk said. 鈥淎nd the older kids that sign up are so good, they take initiative, and make a difference.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As Karlunchuk made this point she referenced the older students who were helping the younger ones with getting hot chocolate, playing board games on the floor, or skating with their buddy.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲e鈥檙e lucky our school is Kindergarten to grade 12 because otherwise we wouldn鈥檛 be able to do this.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Though the program provides younger students with someone in an older grade that they can trust and look up to, the high school students benefit from their experiences but also from a scholarship put on by the Elks and Rebekahs. Students must submit an essay on what the program gave them and must have been involved for two years with it to qualify for the $500 scholarship.
