Athabasca Mentorship Program

Why mentoring? “I really enjoyed this program. It gave me a chance to step back from my busy life and just ‘play’; I enjoyed getting to know my mentee and build a relationship with him.” – Mentor from the 2017 program We’ve all been touched by someone who brought possibility and inspiration into our lives. Spending as little as an hour a week with a young person – in our local school – can make a big difference.

• Mentoring increases positive behaviour while reducing negative behaviours.
• It has a positive impact on a young person’s school attendance, social skills, attitude, and behaviour with friends and family.
• Mentoring is also shown to play a role in preventing or reducing child/youth involvement in alcohol, drugs, and crime.
• Mentoring is a powerful way of supporting a young person by teaching them skills, listening to their perspectives and fostering in them a sense of belonging.

There’s a waiting list of young people who can benefit from your life experiences, guidance, and friendship.  A small investment of time can have a positive lifelong impact on a young person. Getting started Applications are sent out to all students in Grades 3 & 4 and then the mentorship coordinator works closely with school staff to  identify students who would benefit from having a positive adult role model to visit with each week. If the student is interested in participating in the program, parental consent is obtained. The student and mentor begin meeting in the school for one hour, once a week, from October to May of that school year. What makes a good mentor? • Someone who likes spending time with kids. • Someone who’s encouraging and can offer inspiration. • Someone with a range of interests and who is open to ideas and new activities. Your investment of time adds up to little moments that can make a big difference. Think back to your own childhood. What experiences shaped who you are today? Who influenced you? Who had an impact? Spending just an hour with a child each week can touch your life and theirs. How much time must I commit to mentoring? The program runs October to June. You are asked to visit with your mentee (a grade 3 or 4 student) 1 lunch hour per week except when there are school holidays. The school lunch hour is roughly 40 minutes. If you can’t make it on your regular weekday, you may reschedule for another day. How will I know what to do with my mentee? We start the year with a luncheon where you will meet your mentee and their parent(s). You will get a good idea of their likes and dislikes during this meeting. For the first couple of school meetings crafts or sports are always a good starting point. Before long your mentee will feel comfortable enough to tell you what activities they enjoy.

• LTIS and WHPS  allow the use of their gyms, sports equipment, and craft supplies.
• There will also be other mentor and mentee pairs on the days that you are at the school. You can get great ideas from other mentors or may choose to do activities with them.
• In your mentor orientation binder there is a list of possible activity ideas that you can use. There are mentor bins at both schools with supplies for these activities.

How to Apply Volunteers interested in becoming a mentor must complete a Mentorship Application Form (just click on the logo below). The form can be downloaded, printed, filled out, and submitted in person or by email to the FCSS Athabasca office. The application process also includes the following:

• Alberta Children’s Services – Intervention Record Check.
• Police Security Check/Vulnerable Sector Check.
• Interview- once the above screening information has been received, applicants will be contacted for an interview.
• Training Session- once all of the above requirements have been fulfilled, a mandatory training session will be held before the match starts.