When you were growing up were you lucky enough to have a mentor? A mentor is a person who opens the door to the adult world and lets you know the secret password for entry or at least opens it a crack so you can see inside. Young people who have mentors increase their social skills and are on the path to making better life decisions. Teens who mentor younger students learn about themselves and become stronger leaders.
Alex Tripp is a teen mentor at the Game Loft. She is a sophomore in high school with a strong gift for writing and an infectious smile. Alex has opened her schedule to become a teen mentor on Mondays for Game Loft youth ages 6-12 and on Thursdays working with the 7thgrade I Know ME cohort at Mount View Middle School.
At the Game Loft we know that mentoring works. “Jim” is an 8thgrader who until a year ago spent most of his days being reprimanded in the principal’s office. Last year he entered the I Know ME program and was mentored by our staff person, Stephen Colby. Almost immediately “Jim’s” behavior improved and his office detentions decreased significantly.
Recently “Jim” began working with 7thgraders in the I Know ME second cohort. We are delighted to see that he is modeling his behavior on Stephen’s example and is helping the more rambunctious kids find ways to settle down and join the group. As a result Stephen is more confident in his mentoring, “Jim” is better behaved, and the whole program is improved through mentoring.
There are many ways to mentor kids at the Game Loft. If you have the time and patience to change the world, please contact us for more information at 338-6447.