Mentors
What is the Mentor Program?
The Peer Mentorship Program was established to help incoming 9th graders transition from middle to high school. The freshman meet their junior mentors in August before school starts. They participate in team building activities, tours of both campuses, and a welcome picnic. The mentor-mentee relationship continues for two years with trips, activities, advice, and fun. Freshmen-mentor events are held once per month for the school year (August through June). Sophomore-mentor events are held once every other month for the school year. Once the mentors graduate, their mentees are able to become mentors themselves!
Goal
The goal of the mentor program is to help students have a successful social and academic transition into high school and build our campus community by connecting students in different grade levels. For freshmen, we hope to provide students with support as they make their transition into high school and give them a familiar face starting the first day of school. Mentors build leadership skills as they go through training in non-violent conflict resolution, active listening, first aid, and diversity awareness.
Who are the mentors?
Mentors must be juniors at the Zoo Magnet who have been a part of the school since freshmen year and plan to be with the school for their entire junior and senior years. Mentors must also have (and maintain) a minimum of a 3.0 GPA and go through a 12-hour training that includes information on first aid, non-violent conflict resolution, recognizing and responding to bullying, and diversity awareness.
How do I apply to become a mentor?
In order to apply, students fill out an application and submit a cover letter and resume to Mrs. Fender and/or Ms. Hope in March of their 10th grade year.
How do mentees and mentors get paired?
Mentors are paired with freshmen during the summer preceding their junior year. They are paired based on information provided in an online survey. Groups are paired based on zip code (to facilitate carpooling), shared interests, and compatible personalities. Since this is a two-year pairing, these decisions are made carefully and requests are taken into account. If a student meets a mentor at an early event (ex. spring freshmen orientation) and makes an organic connection, they can request their mentor or a mentor may request a freshmen. Since the main way of pairing groups is through the personality surveys, the more information you provide, the more accurate your pairing will be.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about the mentor program, please contact Ms Hope at: mz.bhope@gmail.com.