At The Cottage Schools at Pleasantville and Edenwald campus, the four-year-old mentoring program is thriving. Thanks to New York Life Foundation we were abele to hire coordinator Stacy Connell supervises the program in which dedicated volunteers work with our youth throughout the year. Mentors commit to spending a minimum of four hours a month, one-on-one, with residents. This year, there were 15 matched pairs in the program. We are also grateful to Big Brothers Big Sisters who provided funding to Ms. Connell for individual coaching and assistance in mentor recruitment, screening, supervision, curriculum, and training.

After training and orientation, mentors begin getting acquainted with their mentees by spending at least four visits on the Pleasantville campus, so that staff members are available to supervise and help them. Depending on the needs of the youth, they play board games, make arts and crafts, visit the recreation center, have picnics, or just spend time in the cottage talking, watching movies, or sharing a meal. Later, when pairs go off campus, they enjoy movies, museums, miniature golf, bowling, dinner, and reading together at the library.

Our youth are responding. Ms. Connell speaks of Desiree (not her real name), a young girl whose behavior and attitude changed markedly as a result of mentoring. “She became more respectful and her interactions with staff and peers really improved. She matured a lot and began to take responsibility for her actions. It was great to see.”

The Cottage Schools at Pleasantville and Edenwald will be celebrating their mentors with a special “Mentor Appreciation Day” on January 28th. Mentors will be presented with awards and handmade souvenirs, and regaled with song, poems, and readings by their mentees.

Another of JCCA’s programs, Two Together tutoring program, which provides free individualized tutoring to New York City schoolchildren, is also celebrating Mentoring Month. To become a volunteer tutor, no teaching experience is necessary. Volunteers, trained and supervised by learning specialists, assist children with their homework and reading, math, and writing skills. Tutors meet with their students for 90-minute sessions on a weekly basis.

If you’re interested in becoming a mentor or tutor for either program, please contact jcca@jccany.org or 212-558-9969.