Charleston Assembly

Commission Education

 

FAITH BASED AND PUBLIC SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS: BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SCHOOLS SHOULD BE A NATURAL PROCESS . MANY STUDENTS, PARENTS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS ATTEND CHURCHES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. AS IN ANY WORTHWHILE ENDEAVOR, IT TAKES SHARED VISION, COMMON GOALS, A STRONG DESIRE TO WORK WITH OTHER GROUPS, TIME COMMITMENT TO TASKS, CONTINUAL COMMUNICATION AND TRUST TO BUILD EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WILL TRANSFORM OUR COMMUNITIES. WE BELIEVE THAT WE CAN FORGE AN EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOLS BY FINDING COMMON GROUND WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE OTHER'S MISSION.

 

THE PARTNERS FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY (PBC) HAS CREATED A COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING PROGRAM THAT BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS WITH STUDENTS IN THE CONTEXT OF TUTORING, MORAL CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY INVOLVEMENT. THE MENTORING WILL TAKE PLACE DURING SCHOOL HOURS OR IMMEDIATELY AFTER. THE PURPOSE OF THE PROGRAM IS TO TARGET STUDENTS AT RISK OF LEAVING SCHOOL EARLY OR WHO ARE SOCIALLY ISOLATED OR FAILING TO ACHIEVE THEIR POTENTIAL. SCHOOL BASED MENTORING PROGRAMS GENERALLY HAVE THESE CHARACTERISTICS:

 

1. TEACHERS OR OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL REFER STUDENTS WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM ADULT MENTORSHIP AND SUPPORT.

 

2. MENTORS COMMIT TO MEETING WITH THE STUDENTS FOR AN HOUR A WEEK THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.

 

3. MENTORS MEET WITH THE STUDENTS, EITHER ONE-TO-ONE OR GROUP MENTORING, AT THE SCHOOL .

 

4. MENTORING IN SCHOOLS HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE DROPUT RATE AMONG SCHOOL STUDENTS.

 

5. WHILE MENTORS AND STUDENTS MIGHT SPEND SOME TIME ON SCHOOL WORK, THEY ALSO ENGAGE IN OTHER ACTIVITIES (SUCH AS PLAYING SPORTS AND GAMES, DOING ARTWORK, WRITING A STORY, EATING LUNCH TOGETHER, TALKING) THAT HELP BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS

 

6. MENTORS ARE AVAILABLE TO ATTEND PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES AS NEEDED.

 

7. MENTORS PROVIDE ACADEMIC SUPPORT IN THE CLASSROOM.

 

THE PBC HAS A SCREENING PROCESS THAT INCLUDES ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA AND THE USE OF ASSESSMENT TOOLS. THE SCREENING PROCESS ALLOWS US TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS OF A CANDIDATE/MENTOR TO YOUR SCHOOL SETTING.

 

SCREENING TOOLS INCLUDE: THE VOLUNTER APPLICATION, REFERENCE CHECK FORM, CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK WAIVER, MENTOR INTERVIEW, MENTOR ASSESSMENT, MENTOR INTEREST SURVEY AND LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION. ALL INFORMATION WILL BE FILED AND KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.

 

SCHOOL BASED MENTORING CONTRACT: ALL MENTORS WILL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN A SCHOOL BASED MENTORING CONTRACT WHICH OUTLINES RULES AND GUIDELINES OF THE SCHOOL & MENTOR TRAINING PROGRAM POLICIES OF THE PBC.

 

STUDENTS WE PROPOSE WORKING WITH: THOSE WHO ARE BEHIND IN ACADEMICS, IN SINGLE PARENT HOMES, RECENTLY CHANGED SCHOOLS, SHY AND WITHDRAWN, HAVE LOW SELF-ESTEEM, FAMILY DYSFUNCTION, OR BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS.

 

TO BETTER FACILITATE OUR RELATIONSHIP WE WOULD LIKE TO:

1. BRING TOGETHER PARENTS OF SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN, TEACHERS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS FOR AN IN DEPTH DISCUSSION ON SCHOOL ISSUES.

 

2. IDENTIFY THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN OUR AREA AND CONDUCT NEEDS ASSESSMENTS, SURVEYS, AND/OR COLLECT STATISTICAL DATA ON ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND SOCIAL ISSUES AFFECTING TARGETED SCHOOLS.

 

3. ASK THE PRINCIPALS WHAT THEY WANT AND/OR NEED CONFIRMING THAT OUR CURRENT PROGRAM WILL FIT THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL.

 

4. COMMUNICATE AND COMMUNICATE SOME MORE: WE WILL PROPOSE A COMMUNICATION PLAN TO KEEP PARTNERS INFORMED, INVOLVED, AND ACCOUNTABLE TO BUILD TRUST AND INCREASE INVOLVEMENT AMONG PARTNERS.

 

5. TO ESTABLISH QUARTERLY MEETINGS WITH TEACHERS & ADMINISTRATORS AND KEEP DOCUMENTATION OF MEETINGS CONCERNING THE MENTORING PROGRAM'S PROGRESS AND ADDRESS AREAS THAT NEED IMPROVEMENT.

 

6. KNOW THE SCHOOL CULTURE, POLICIES, AND PROCEDURES: TO RESPECT TEACHERS TIME CONSTRAINTS AND NEED FOR STRUCTURE AND ORDER. TO OBTAIN FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS AND OTHER SCHOOL PERSONNEL EARLY, AND OFTEN, SO WE CAN MAKE ANY NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS.

 

7. TO PROVIDE A PROGRAM COORDINATOR WHO WILL ATTEND THE SCHOOL WEEKLY, INCLUDING TIMES WHEN TEACHERS ARE FREE TO HAVE INFORMAL CONVERSATIONS.

 

8. TO ADDRESS AND RESOLVE PROBLEMS AS SOON AS THEY ARISE & RECOGNIZE AND RESPECT THE VALIDITY OF THE SCHOOL'S EXPERIENCES AND POINTS OF VIEW.

 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING:

 

PURPOSE: TO FORMALLY ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR ORGANIZATION AND PARTNERS FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY BY PLACING CARING, COMPETENT, AND CONSISTENTADULTS IN THE LIVES OF STUDENTS, OFFERING THEM PARTICIPATION IN ENRICHING LEARNING ACTIVITIES THAT IMPROVE THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, STRENTHEN THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO REACH THEIR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL.

 

*POSITIVE OUTCOMES OF SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING ARE:

 

• 64% OF THE STUDENTS DEVELOPED MORE POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD SCHOOL

 

• 58% ACHCIEVED HIGHER GRADES IN SOCIAL STUDIES, LANGUAGES, AND MATH

 

• 60% IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS WITH ADULTS, AND

 

• 56% IMPROVED RELATIONSHIPS WITH PEERS

 

• 55% WERE BETTER ABLE TO EXPESS THEIR FEELINGS

 

• 64% DEVELOPED HIGHER LEVELS OF SELF-CONFIDENCE

 

• 62% WERE MORE LIKELY TO TRUST THEIR TEACHERS

 

*FROM A STUDY CONDUCTED BY BIG BROTHERS, BIG SISTERS SCHOOL-BASED MENTORING, 2000.

 

THE PBC WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THIS PRESENTATION AS WE BELIEVE THAT BY WORKING TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE WORK AND RAISE OUR CHILDREN.

 

Email-thecec2012@gmail.com