Simply put, a mentor is a trusted, trained adult volunteer who builds a positive relationship with a young person to provide guidance, encouragement, and consistent support. Mentors help students develop confidence, resilience, and life skills through regular meetings and meaningful conversation.
Mentors show up, listen, and remind students that they matter. Through simple moments of connection, mentors help students feel seen, supported, and capable of achieving their goals.
Active listening and the development of trust—not talking—are the two biggest roles of a mentor. In fact, your mentee is likely to chatter away during your time together, giving you the opportunity to ask poignant, open-ended questions.
There is no cost to volunteering to mentor through White County Family Connection. Approved mentors must complete a fingerprinting background check through Pioneer RESA, but the fee for that check is paid for by Family Connection.
– Week to week, you would mentor roughly 30 minutes throughout the school year, typically during a child’s lunchtime. Middle and High school mentors may have alternative time options.
– We ask our mentors to commit to mentoring a student for at least one school year. Some mentors commit to three years and some commit to mentor until the student graduates.
– We understand that life happens, and as such, mentor-mentee relationships may end. We have had several students who have moved away unexpectedly and several mentors who have faced health issues. When this happens, we work to re-pair the mentor or mentee with another available student or volunteer.
At a White County public school of your choice:
Jack P. Nix Elementary
Mossy Creek Elementary
Tesnatee Gap Elementary
Mount Yonah Elementary
White County Middle School
Warrior Academy
White County High School