volunteering with a mission.

Despite the icy winds outside, over 70 people chose to spend their Saturday morning in a high school cafeteria. On March 14, representatives from Austin Partners in Education, the St. John's Neighborhood Association, YoungLife, Austin Stone Community Church and Reagan High School spoke with the volunteers about the needs within the school and community, as well as guidelines for working with the students.

These volunteers make up just a small pool of over 300 people who responded to a video that was shown at Austin Stone Community Church several weeks ago. The video talked about the situation Reagan High is facing and the help that the teachers are needing. After the 2008 TAKS exams were scored, Reagan High was ranked "academically unacceptable" by the Texas Education Agency along with 2 other high schools, 2 middle schools and 6 elementary schools in Austin ISD. For Reagan High and Pearce Middle School, these ratings mean that a decision may be made soon about the future of their campus.

Michael Madison, the new Volunteer Coordinator at Reagan, has offered up a menu of tutoring options for anyone interested in helping out the students.

Volunteers can:

.. "Adopt a Teacher" by helping a classroom with a range of projects including tutoring, behavior management or just making copies.

.. help students prepare for the upcoming science and math sections of the TAKS exam.

.. assist students after school Monday through Thursday from 4:20-6:00pm.

.. come on Saturdays to tutor students from 9am - 12pm.

Volunteers are also being recruited for "Beautify Reagan Day" on Saturday, April 18.

The overwhelming response from the Austin Stone has come with a new spirit of service. Many times, we have found that volunteers become frustrated or discouraged if they are not given clear roles and guidelines or if their experience does not meet their expectations. According to Mr. Madison though, these volunteers have come to this opportunity truly willing to help in any way possible.

Classic mentoring has proven to be more difficult in high school than in younger grades. Though many volunteers are willing to be a positive role model to teenagers, it can be hard to convince the students of the benefits a mentor can offer them. We have started encouraging volunteers who are interested in mentoring high school students to get involved in other ways at the school or within the community. As some volunteers at Reagan have found, you can get to know students very well through tutoring without the pressure that comes with sitting down for your first mentor meeting. Once students see that volunteers are really there to support and help them, they can become more comfortable and may talk to their tutors about what is going on in the personal lives.

I am very excited to see the progress that is going to be made at Reagan High in the next few months as these volunteers pour into the students and teachers. The St. John's community as a whole is becoming a model for a new relationship between neighborhoods and schools. No matter what happens when the next round of TAKS scores comes in, I think that a real difference is being made in the lives of these students and the staff at Reagan.

If you are interested in becoming involved at Reagan, please sign up here for the volunteer opportunities listed above: Austin Partners in Education - Reagan High.

Time for TAKS!

This week, students across Texas took the reading portion of the TAKS exam. For many, Tuesday was the culmination of months of preparation during regular class time and after school. Over the last few years, I've seen a different side of standardized testing that I never experienced growing up. For me, the yearly exam (then called TAAS) was just another routine. I didn't know anyone who stressed over it, and my teachers only went through a few days of additional preparation outside of our regular lessons. (For a full TAKS schedule, please visit the Austin ISD website.)

When I came to Austin in August of 2007 though, I saw another side of the exam. I had never known that closure was an option for schools whose students did not score high enough on the TAKS exam until I learned about the situation at Johnston High School. Now that I am more familiar with the requirements and the circumstances that several schools are facing in Austin this year, I have a very different perspective of how mentors can support their students through this difficult time.

One school that is facing scrutiny because of their test scores is Becker Elementary. We have had a few mentors at Becker over the last two years, but in January I received notice from Drew Houlihan of the Austin ISD Leadership Development Center about an effort to match all 3-5 graders (approximately 84 students) at Becker with a mentor.

After an initial request, Austin Energy was able to sign up 20 new mentors for Becker Elementary. Another 6 mentors came from Austin ISD departments and throughout the community. During an orientation, Drew helped the new mentors understand the situation at Becker: Becker is currently rated as Academically Unacceptable (year 1) by the Texas Education Agency. The AISD Leadership Development Center is supporting the students, parents, administrators and teachers at Becker in the effort to improve their academic rating. During an initial needs assessment, the LDC and the Becker community identified the critical need for students, especially in grades 3-5, to connect with an adult role model. The pressures of the accountability system are widely felt inside the walls of Becker. The purpose of the mentors at Becker is to give students an opportunity to escape those pressures, even if it is for 30 minutes per day. By serving as mentors, adult role models provide the students at Becker with a forum for supporting and encouraging their "mentees" to reach their goals and to have an avenue for exploring interests outside of the academic world.

Now that TAKS season has begun, I really feel that mentors at all schools can provide an opportunity for their students to focus on something other than exams. Some students will want to spend their visits talking about the stress they feel and the concerns they have for their school. Other students may want to use their mentor meetings to discuss other goals they have outside of academics. At every grade level, students are very aware of the pressures their teachers and principals are facing during TAKS season. It can be easy for students to feel that their value is only measured by their scores on a standardized exam. Mentors can allow students to show their strengths in new ways and can help students understand that they are valued regardless of their performance on the TAKS.

One mentor who has been working with her student at Becker since early in the fall has seen a real "breakthrough" with her student this week. Another mentor who just had his first meeting last week said that his student opened up right away about what he was going through. It seems that during this stressful time, students are really depending on their mentors and relying on them for support and guidance.

I think the following quote doesn't just apply to the mentors at Becker, but shows how communities and schools across Austin feel about the support mentors are providing for their students:

"The Becker community and the AISD Leadership Development Center want to express our sincere gratitude to those who serve as mentors. With your support and assistance, we know that each and every child will be highly successful in all that they do this year. Thank you for your commitment to our school and for serving as positive adult role models for our students." -- Drew Houlihan, Assistant Director of AISD Leadership Development Center.

Best wishes to all of the students who are taking the TAKS test!

Becker Elementary is still in need of 15 more mentors!

If you are interested in mentoring a student at Becker Elementary,

contact Christin Alvarado at calvarado@austinpartners.org

or sign up here: * Mentoring - 08/09 - Becker Elementary .

Feria Para Aprender

For the third year, Austin Partners in Education participated in the planning of Feria Para Aprender, an education fair for the Spanish-speaking community in Austin. This year, over 70 non-profit organizations and Austin ISD departments set up booths at the Tony Burger Center on Saturday, February 7. Over 100 volunteers and Parent Support Specialists helped parents and students collect resources and information that would help them to succeed. Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of CommuniCard and the brains behind the operation, encouraged all participants to spread a very unique message to parents that we like to call:

"Para Una Buena Vida"

Graduate from high school and you will earn one million dollars in your lifetime.

Graduate from college and you will earn an addition million dollars in your lifetime.

You will have more opportunities if you are bilingual, so learn English quickly and continue to develop Spanish as well.

Through sponsors such as Wells Fargo and HEB, along with the support of Spanish media such as Univision Television, Border Media, Univision Radio and ¡ahora sí!, Feria Para Aprender had a record crowd this year of over 7,700 parents and students. That's more than the first two years combined!

Along with gathering information from organizations that served students from early childhood through college grduation, parents were also able to receive free immunizations from Austin Care Van and free vision screenings from Wal-Mart. Austin ISD also provided parents with an opportunity to see a mock bilingual education classroom, participate in science experiments, and sign up for ParentConnection, an online resource that allows parents to view their children's grades, attendance records and behavioral reports.

Another highlight for many families was the Reading Garden, where children could take home Spanish children's books and see presentations by Proyecto Teatro. The whole day was topped off with free healthy snacks provided by Seton Family of Hospitals.

As part of the planning committee for the second year, it has truly been a pleasure to see this event grow and develop into the community effort it was this year. It is very rare and truly inspiring to see representatives from different media outlets take a break from the competition to serve the needs of this community. The consistent involvement from Austin ISD also shows parents and students that education does not end in the classroom.

For more information about Feria Para Aprender, visit www.feriaeducativa.org.

celebrating with your students..

During this time of year, I start to think back to my winter holidays growing up. I remember the anticipation I felt as soon as December started as I looked forward to the end of the semester. Back then, it felt like we had at least a month away from school and my days were spent playing with my cousins and visiting family who lived far away. My parents always got me that perfect gift and we ate far too much food.


At a training a few weeks ago though, I was reminded that some of the students we mentor may not have the same experience I did. Some students celebrate Hanukkah. Other students don't celebrate any religious holidays. Some students may have never traveled outside of Austin while others may only get a full meal at school.


While this could turn into a sensitive or uncomfortable conversation with your student, it is more likely that this can be another way to get to know your student better. As in all conversations, it is very important not to make assumptions about your student. For many students, mentors provide the only opportunity to express themselves openly and honestly without fear of criticism so it is important that we ask questions when we don't know the answer.


Try starting your conversations by talking about things you know to be true. You know that your student will not be at school for two weeks. Instead of asking your student "What are you doing for Christmas?" you can say "How will you be spending your time away from school?"


You can also take a minute to consider what you already know about your student.


Religious Beliefs:
Has your student talked to you about going to church? What kind of church?


It is okay to talk with your students about your own religious beliefs, but make sure you allow them to discuss their beliefs as well. This should be a time to share new information in order to get to know each other better.


Also, remember that many people celebrate Christmas without necessarily adhering to a particular religious belief. If your student talks about Christmas, you can ask what they do to celebrate to understand the association they have with the holiday.


Family Situation:
What do you know about your student's family? How many brothers and sisters does your student have? Who is their primary guardian? Has there been any significant event that has recently affected their family life - death, deployment, incarceration, etc?


For some people, the holidays are all about big family events and socializing with friends. For others, it is a time to spend quietly at home with your immediate family.

If you know that your student has a significant financial need in their family, take this into consideration before asking them what they asked from Santa Clause.

The goal of mentoring is to be able to develop a friendship with your students. No matter what your age, it takes awhile to really get to know someone and each time you visit your student you are probably learning something new. Take this opportunity over the holidays to ask questions about what your student does outside of school and find out what other interests they may have.

I hope you all have a safe and relaxing holiday!

reunited.. & it feels so good!

So it has been quite awhile (over 2 months!) since the first APIE Mentor post. September and October were extremely busy as we worked to get returning mentors started again and trained new mentors as well as new Mentor Contacts for the schools. In the last two months, we have trained over 125 new mentors and have over 800 registered mentors! The Mentor Contacts have been working hard to quickly match mentors with students and we have seen some really amazing reunions between mentors and students.

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The first story is from a mentor who started his second year with the program in September. I was so impressed by the activities he is doing with his student. I definitely could not make a hovercraft in elementary school.. or in college!

"I am returning as a mentor this year at two schools. The boy I mentored last year at one school is now a 5th grader and we’re scheduled to meet on Monday’s. We like to work on “engineering” projects and talk about radio controlled airplanes and such. Last year we made simple hovercraft devices (balloon + CD disk + water bottle nozzle) for the class and it was a big hit. This year I think we’ll work on a people sized hovercraft!"

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This story really made my day. We have been trying to reconnect this mentor and her student since last spring. They had been working together since 4th grade and the student was now entering 9th grade. We were finally able to find out which high school the student was attending and set up their first meeting at the beginning of October. The counselor said that when she asked the student if she would like to meet with her mentor again, "she was very excited. Her face really lit up when I gave her the info." For those of you who haven't worked with teenagers before, it takes a lot for them to show just how excited they really are! The mentor later reported that her first visit was wonderful. They spent the time catching up and the mentor could not believe how grown up her student had become in just one year!

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Some of the best relationships develop over the course of several years, as mentors really get to know their students and have the opportunity to see them grow up before their eyes. Especially as students transition from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school, the consistency of a mentor can be very reassuring. While some students want to venture out into their new school without a mentor, it is important that they know someone cares about them and is only a phone call away.

Welcome Back Mentors!

Each week, over 1200 Austin community members meet with students from kindergarten through 12th grade. These mentors are invested in the personal and academic success of their students. Many times, the spotlights are put on the negative situations in our schools. But I am constantly hearing amazing and uplifting stories about the relationships these mentors are building with the children in Austin, and how thrilled they are to see their students grow throughout the year.

This blog is an opportunity to share these success stories with the world! My hope is that the mentors in Austin will be able to share in each other's successes, and just might encourage someone else to become a part of this growing community.

School started today and the mentors are very eager to see their students again. But before classes even began, and before I even sent out a request for submissions, I received the e-mail below from one of the sweetest mentors I know. I remember last year, I received a call from this mentor right after I sent out our monthly updates. She told me that she was concerned about something I said in my e-mail. I quickly pulled up the letter and scanned it for something that could have been interpreted the wrong way. She said "You thanked the mentors for all the hard work we've done this year. And I just wanted to let you know that I haven't done any work at all. All I've done is have fun!"

A Mentor's Testimonial

After receiving excellent training in how to be a mentor and being apprised of the many ways that mentees gain from the experience, I felt assured that I could fulfill the duties of a mentor. But, when I actually became a mentor, I was surprised and delighted that the mentee would not be the only one to gain. I, the mentor, would also benefit by becoming more knowledgeable. I learned from my mentee as well as mentoring her. She shared with me the way she ensured that she would manage to remember important things. And I was gratified by her concern for me.

We met over lunch once a week. One day she informed me, "You don't eat enough."

"Hold it, " I thought," Which one of us is the mentor?"

Just being present in the school with all its activities was energizing. I had the good luck of meeting some of the wonderful, dedicated teachers.

And the children! What a treat it was to observe children of various ethnicities and races learning, playing, and working together peacefully and enjoyably . I was inspired and became a hopeful optimist that the world could become a better place.

I also could view the displays the children made on a variety of subjects, the last one being "Oceans." I was amazed at the creativity and talent the children demonstrated. When I asked my mentee to show me what her class contributed, she took me to her classroom to see for myself : "The Seashore." While there, she proudly introduced me to her teacher and her classmates, one of whom asked her whether I was her grandmother. Naturally, she answered, "No." But I felt that in a way, we were in a family relationship.

I could go on and on about what I liked about being a mentor. But I invite you to see for yourself.

On the last day of the school term, she told me, "I'll never forget you." Priceless!

In conclusion, if you want to add excitement, meaning and value to your life, the answer if very simple, "Become a mentor." You'll be glad if you do.