Vol. 16, No. 39	Aug. 21, 1997

Mentor program matches college students with kids

Kids get help from trained tutors and mentors; college students contribute to schools and the community in a meaningful way; teachers get an assist in the classroom-the First State Mentor Corps (FSMC) under the umbrella of AmeriCorps, is a win/win project for everyone, according to state director Lisa Diller, whose office is located in Alison Hall.

Susan Zigler, the principal at Joseph M. McVey Elementary School in Newark agrees. "The children love to have the college students come to their classrooms where they work with kids on a one-to-one basis or in small groups. Students go beyond tutoring, sometimes joining the children at lunch in the cafeteria, organizing games on the playground or coming in for special events like field day or a concert.

"Since we have only one male teacher on our staff, we were pleased to have Jabin Ferrer as a mentor, as well as the women students, and he was an excellent role model. The teachers liked having the college students in their classrooms, and, for continuity, we are assigning the students to the same teachers this year."

Zeigler added, "The AmeriCorps members are dependable and come when scheduled, which was another big plus. They are making a noticeable difference in the school."

FSMC member Allison King has come full circle-she attended Harlan Elementary School while growing up in Wilmington and now is a mentor there for fourth, fifth and sixth graders. An education major, King said working with children in the classroom has been a great learning experience, "better than a textbook," and is excellent preparation for future student teaching.

"I'm learning about how to run a classroom with a teacher who is supportive and helpful, and I'm learning how children react in different situtations. I also have gotten to know and interact with other teachers and staff and learned how a school is organized," she said.

"The children are great," King continued. "They are glad to see us and are very responsive. They are disappointed when we are not able to come. I work with them on a one-to-one basis on school work and spend some time each week just talking to them about school, friends or whatever is on their minds. I also have a reading club for 15 fourth graders. where we read a book and discuss it."

Next year, FSMC members at Harlan also will go out into the community to recruit volunteer mentors for the school's mentoring program.

Housed in the College of Human Resources, Education and Public Policy, FSMC is a cooperative, statewide project under Diller with hubs at Delaware State University, led by Dolores Finger Wright, and Delaware Technical and Community College in Georgetown, led by T. J. Mumford.

Suzanne Wollens is a fulltime AmeriCorps member assigned to assist with the UD program. "This is a joint project that unites the state's educational institutions," Diller said.

The project is funded by a federal grant and state support through the Delaware Commission on Community Service in cooperation with host institutions. Currently, 19 elementary and middle schools in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties are being served.

At UD, 19 students, many of whom are education majors, are participating in the project. They received training last spring, and further training is scheduled this week at Camp Arrowhead on Rehoboth Bay, with 40 to 50 members from all over Delaware participating.

To kick off the session, students with brushes in hand gave a building at Henlopen State Park a needed fresh coat of paint as a service project, followed by a pizza extravaganza and a storytelling program sponsored by the Delaware Humanities Forum.

Gov. Thomas R. Carper is scheduled to visit the training camp and meet students for lunch today.

Among the other activities planned are workshops on mentoring, conflict resolution and public speaking. A leadership development program will be presented by Audrey Helfman of the College of Human Resources, Education and Public Policy.

FSMC members are required to give 900 hours of service in two years' time and in return receive a living stipend of $125 a month for eight months a year. After completing service hours, they receive an additional education award of $2,363, which can be used to repay student loans or for tuition. The current cohort of members is scheduled to complete service in December 1998.

"The caliber of the UD students is high. Many of them already have tutored and worked with children. They have been welcome and appreciated at the schools where they help young students to succeed," Diller said.

For further information on FSMC, call Diller at 831-0883 or Wollens at 831-0894.

-Sue Swyers Moncure