A training class by the Oregon National Guard
called “Mentoring 101” is scheduled Nov. 3,
6 to 9 p.m. at Silverton Hospital in
Conference Room D.
Mentors must be at least 18 years, maintain
confidentiality and have perseverance, flexibility
and patience.
All mentors must fill out an application,
have an interview, be fingerprinted,
take the mentoring class and meet
with the school councilor before being
matched with a student.
By Kristine Thomas
Doreen Kelly of Silverton Together is looking for adults who want to make a difference by being a mentor to children in their community.
Right now, she said, she has 20 adults who are eager to participate in Silverton Together’s Operation Starfish Mentor program.
A mentor meets with a third-through-eighth grade student for one hour once a week during the school year.
“We have a need for more than 200 mentors,” Kelly said. “I would be thrilled if we could get 50 people to be mentors.”
Kelly said a mentor might play games, read a book with his or her student, teach a new skill such as knitting or work on a scrapbook. A mentor usually discovers what the student’s interest is and do something to match it.
A mentor, Kelly added, doesn’t have to be a councilor, tutor or teacher.
“What the kids really need is someone who will listen to them and be a good role model,” she said.
Teachers have noticed students who have mentors have been positively impacted, she said. Kids with mentors are less likely to use drugs, skip school or have disciplinary problems.
Kids with a mentor report greater confidence in their performance at school and better relations with their families.
One reason the demand for mentors is increasing is because other students are seeing the positive influence mentors have on their classmates, she said.
Sixty students at Butte Creek Elementary School have indicated they would like to have a mentor, Kelly said, adding all the schools have lists of students who would like one.
“Having a mentor has made a world of difference for the kids,” Kelly said. “Their parents, their teacher and even their friends notice.”
To register to be a mentor, contact Jan Holowati at Silverton Together, 503-873-0405 or email her at [email protected].
