Learning extends outside the classroom, said Kaiserslautern American High School teacher Marcy Bond.
That’s why she heads up a mentoring program at KAHS, bringing in folks interested in volunteering their time.
***image1***Mrs. Bond and KAHS principal Jennifer Beckwith recently met with prospective mentors to discuss the program.
“I am volunteering because I know that it means a lot to a child that an adult outside of their family, and school, is taking an interest in their well-being,” said Tech. Sgt. Rozelle Dickens, 700th Contracting Squadron. “You also develop a friendship with them that lasts a lifetime.”
In the mentoring program, adult volunteers are screened (background checks) and matched with students according to academic interests and special academic strengths. Adult volunteers are military members and civilians from the KMC.
Mentoring can improve overall academic achievement, help students improve communication and social skills and provide guidance for decision-making or problem solving, school officials said.
And, mentors gain too. The program provides experience working with students. KAHS keeps track of volunteer hours and awards a certificate that reflects the number of hours at the end of the commitment. Mentors and students, who meet during the student’s seminar class or after school, meet in the Information Center or at tables in designated classrooms.
Anyone interested in becoming a mentor can contact Marcy Bond at 489-7300 or marcy.bond@eu.dodea.edu.