In 2004, RSVP joined the newly formed Kenosha Unified School District’s Collaborative Student Mentoring Program and was to recruit volunteers to mentor K-2nd grade students. Many mentors continued following their students until middle school. In 2009, RSVP became involved in a special nine-week mentoring project at Lance Middle School in which volunteers were matched one-on-one with 6th grade students identified as having low self-esteem. The project was so successful that it was continued for the entire school year. We more than doubled the number of mentors in 2009 and entered a national competition for a Program of National Significance grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service. We were successful and received a grant augmentation of $12,000 for our program. In October 2010, we were certified by Mentor Kenosha Racine, a community-wide effort spearheaded by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside’s Center for Community Partnerships which supports mentoring programs in Kenosha and Racine. In the school year ending in June 2013, 48 RSVP mentors served 790 hours at 16 elementary and 5 middle schools. Ten had two mentees.
Our mentors receive an orientation, on-going training and a mentor starter kit with school supplies, crafts and games. We have monthly mentor support seminars so mentors have an opportunity to share and reflect on their experiences and learn from one another. In October we launched a mentor drive, “60 in 60”, to recruit 60 new mentors in 60 days. We recruited 18 new mentors for our program and referred 9 volunteers under the age of 55 to other certified mentor programs. In 2012 RSVP won the Outstanding Mentor Program Practices award at the Mentor Kenosha Racine annual conference and in 2013, RSVP mentor Ellen Przybylski, was Mentor of the Year. Teachers surveyed reported that 100% of students looked forward to spending time with their mentors and that 97% of students showed improvement in either academic, social or life skills, with 72% showing some improvement and 24% showing lots of improvement. One teacher wrote: “Geraldine’s mentor was WONDERFUL! She made Geri love school and want to come each day. Geri is now excited to read and has improved greatly. Her math skills and thinking skills are also greatly improved. I can’t thank you enough for sharing this program with us.” Another teacher shared: “Chloe has shown vast improvements in social skills as a result of the individualized attention received from her mentor. I am confident she will be successful in her high school experience. 91% of mentors surveyed responded that their feeling of accomplishment changed positively and 72% responded that their feeling of having a purpose changed positively and 22% said that even their physical health showed positive changes. One mentor wrote: “Actually the mentoring experience has been as good for me as for the child. It has been a pleasure to watch the children in her grade grow up and to meet the many dedicated, caring staff members of the school. Mentoring has made me feel much more connected to the community.”