By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Every student is one adult away from a success story – that’s the inspiration behind a movement to mentor more students in Bloomington-Normal.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois is working with Boys & Girls Club of Bloomington Normal and Promise Council to put out a call for more adult mentors, particularly men, to help at-risk students who need assistance with their school work.
Fox Creek Elementary principal Dennis Larson told WJBC’s Scott Laughlin mentors are asked to meet with the student for one hour a week, either in the classroom or in the community, such as taking them to the movies or an afterschool program.
“As a friend, as a mentor, you might help them with some school work or you might just play a game,” Larson said. “It’s an opportunity for them to have a relationship with someone outside of school, outside of the home that’s just there to be there for them, to support them.”
Larson added mentors can provide that one-on-one interaction that can be sometimes difficult to get in the classroom.
“Your commitment is to that one individual,” Larson said. “When you are a classroom teacher, you have that commitment to 26, 27, 28 kids sometimes or possibly 30 or 30-plus as class sizes continue
to fluctuate.”
The Promise Council is a group of local parents that works to connect community resources to the specific needs of students as identified by teachers and staff at local schools.
Larson said interested mentors are thoroughly screened. More information is available on the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Illinois website.
Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].
