Mentoring

=Mentoring= While not automatically a part of place-based education, mentors can be important resources in PBE. Typically, mentors are used to provide individual instruction, inspiration, and encouragement for students. They can be extremely valuable for all students but especially for "at risk" students in a community who need individual attention - such as those in the Communities in Schools program. As successful members of the community, they bring their maturity, experience, and practical as well as academic expertise to the school - for example, mentors in the Connecting Generations program could do this. Hence, students see practical applications for the curriculum in their surroundings and place a greater value on education in general. Under the mentor's tutelage, students can master skills which will prepare them to be effective participants and contributors in their community - which is a possibility for those in Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Place-based education is also served by mentors who assist students interested in independent, in-depth research of specific topics related to their community - which is a possibility for those in Big Brothers Big Sisters. They can serve as primary sources for the students - such as those participating in Connecting Generations. For example, mentors are the best teachers of local history and government. They can conduct tours of important historical sites, provide access to city council meetings and court proceedings, etc. - activities which those in Big Brothers Big Sisters can participate in. Mentors can teach students about local industries and businesses utilising on-site facilities. They can inform career choices by arranging job shadowing opportunities - which mentors in Connecting Generations or Big Brothers Big Sisters could arrange. Mentors can instruct students about local resources and conservation efforts by taking students to study the unique topography of their region. Depending on the expertise of the mentors, they can invite students to participate in local religious and community organizations - which is also possible for those in Big Brothers Big Sisters. Finally, mentors can teach students about their local environment, thereby creating a sense of community, identity and belonging that is instrumental in a successful society.

What is especially nice about these programs is that they are already organized; an individual can contact them to join and start helping to develop place-based education in their communities right away. Of course, to really incorporate PBE in a school, everyone in the school and community needs to put forth an effort, but these mentor programs allow individuals to start making a difference while the school and community prepare themselves.

Big Brothers Big Sisters
Big Brothers Big Sisters is a nonprofit mentoring organization whose goal is to create caring and supportive relationships between children (ages 6 to 18) and their volunteer mentors. It was started in 1904 and provides services across the U.S. It works by having a trained professional pair a child with a mentor. The pair then meet for about 1hr/week outside of school for fun activities (Community-based Mentoring) or they meet once a week in school (School-based Mentoring).

Results:

 * A 1992-3 study by Public/Private Ventures showed that children in the program were:
 * 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs
 * 27% less likely to begin using alcohol
 * 52% less likely to skip school
 * 37% less likely to skip a class more confident of their performance in schoolwork
 * one-third less likely to hit someone
 * getting along better with their families

For the full study go to []

In general, the program has proven most effective in preventing drug abuse, especially among minority children.

References:
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (2008). //Big brothers big sisters//. Retrieved from []

Communities in Schools:
Communities in schools is a drop out prevention and intervention program that occurs after school. It involves school staff, volunteers, and students that are at risk for dropping out of school. The program has been occurring for the past 30 years in efforts to mentor at risk students. For more information on the programs in the 27 states that are involved, visit http://communitiesinschools.org/where/cisaffiliates.php.

**Program Specifics: **
During the program, each child is evaluated for what kind of help he/she needs, but specific programs vary from place to place. Services are offered to approximately 2.3 million students each year and is funded through donations and grants. Here are some examples of different kinds of services provided:
 * after school activities focusing on math, reading, writing, science/technology, social studies, and the arts
 * in-school mentoring which may be coupled with online mentoring
 * homework clubs
 * providing school clothes/uniforms
 * eye exams and glasses
 * access to health-care information
 * information about colleges, scholarships, and careers

References:
Communities in Schools Inc. (2010). //Communities in schools//. Retrieved from http://www.cisnt.org/

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Connecting Generations
Connecting Generations is a mentoring program in which the goal is to help adults (especially those over the age of 50) to pass on their experiences and life lessons to children. The children, in turn, are taught to respect and appreciate their elders. It began in Delaware in 1990 and involves: The program currently has over 1,000 volunteer mentors and over 9,000 people have used the training program.
 * **In-school mentoring (Program title: Creative Mentoring) **
 * **In-class workshop series for 5th graders (Program title: Seasons of Respect) **
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">**<span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Workshops for adults, especially those who are in the process of retiring, in which they learn how to assess their life experiences and lessons and how to plan for a rewarding future (Program title: Creative Transitions) **

References:
<span style="display: block; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif;">Connecting Gernerations (2010). //Welcom to connecting generations//. Retrieved from http://www.connecting-generations.org/index.html