Establishing a School-Based Mentoring Program for Youth

Establishing a School-Based Mentoring Program for Youth This article is about a high school counselor who realizes the struggles of students who are involved in the transition from the juvenile system into adulthood. The students range from having an emotional disorder to being incarcerated to getting out of a juvenile detention center to having a learning disability in a school setting. The couselor has decided that a school-based mentoring program will help ease students with transitioning back to their neighborhood schools. She feels that this type of mentoring will improve students’ academic grades, communication and social skills, and will get students involved in their community. One of the main reasons she wants to start this program is students who return to school from a juvenile facility face multiple academic and behavioral challenges. Students may feel unprepared to join the work force due to poor academic skills. This could be a cause of missing many days of school. More often then not, students with disabilities are more likely to go right back to a juvenile facility.( Waller, Katherine S., David E. Houchins, and Patsy Thomas Nomvete." Beyond Behavior 19.3 (2010): 30-35) School staff cares about the students in their schools, and in their classrooms. Outside of the school community family plays a very important role in helping with transitioning. But unfortunately, a student’s home environment can just add to students emotions. A school mentor can use various avenues in the school setting such as the nurse, teachers, guidance counselors, and will have access to a students records. How can a teacher effectively teach a student who has so much baggage? If a moderate disabled student comes to school not prepared to learn because of outside influences, how will she succeed? These are questions that teachers and staff need addressed. Many schools along with the school staff realize that having a mentor

Cited: Waller, Katherine S., David E. Houchins, and Patsy Thomas Nomvete. "Establishing A School-Based Mentoring Program For Youth Who Are Transitioning From A Secure Facility." Beyond Behavior 19.3 (2010): 30-35. ERIC. Web. 27 Nov. 2012.