Mentor Commitment to Parent/Guardian
Dear ______,
(Parent/Guardian)
I commit to you that I, ______, have been trained by the Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program and background checked and have made a commitment to being a positive role model to young people.
Therefore, I commit to:
- Continuing participation in the mentoring program for a minimum of 9 months. If I see a reason to re-evaluate participation, I will contact the school counselor or Patty Bacon immediately.
- Making every effort to keep meetings set between myself and my mentee. If plans change, and we need to reschedule, I will contact you prior to the date/time set.
- Contacting you, the parent, and BCYMP immediately if address/phone numbers/email changes.
- Contacting you as soon as a group BCYMP activity is scheduled to see if we can attend the event.
- Scheduling our time together as far in advance as possible.
Signed: ______
Mentor Name (please print): ______Mentor Phone: ______
Mentor Email: ______
Patty Bacon is the BCYMP Program Director. Please contact her if any concerns arise regarding your child’s participation in the BCYMP. 605-697-0444
The best times for me to meet with your child are listed below. These are not the only times, but those that work best in my schedule at this time:
Monday from ______to ______
Tuesday from ______to ______
Wednesday from ______to ______
Thursday from ______to ______
Friday from ______to ______
Saturday from ______to ______
Sunday from ______to ______
Parent Agreement Form for Mentoring
Dear ______,
(Parent/Guardian)
The Brookings County Youth Mentoring program has a number of wonderful adults who enjoy working with young people. We would like to match your child up with one of these mentors. Each mentor participates in Training Sessions, undergoes a Background Check, and commits to spending an hour a week with your child for a minimum of six months.
If you would like to have your child matched with an adult mentor, please sign the permission form below. The first meeting will take place at school. After that the mentor makes the arrangements with you and your child directly.
Patty Bacon is the BCYMP Program Director. Please contact her if any concerns arise regarding your child’s participation in the BCYMP. 605-697-0444
I understand that mentors in the Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program have been trained and background checked and have made a commitment to being a positive role model to young people.
Therefore, I commit to:
- Continuing participation in the mentoring program for six months. If I see a reason to re-evaluate participation, I will contact the school counselor or Patty Bacon immediately.
- Making every effort to keep meetings set between the mentor and my child. If plans change, and we need to reschedule, we will contact the mentor prior to the date/time set whenever possible.
- Contacting mentor immediately if address/phone numbers/email changes.
These guidelines are built into the program to ensure that your child and the mentor have the best possible opportunity to build a productive, meaningful relationship. Please do not use the mentoring appointments as a form of reward/punishment. This is undermining to the stability of the relationship.
I give permission for my child ______to spend some regularly scheduled time with the assigned mentor listed below:
Mentor Name: ______Mentor Phone: ______
I further give my consent for the mentor to transport my child to activities or locations that have been communicated to me in advance. I understand that the mentor and I will mutually agree upon the date/time for each meeting. I will be at agreed upon location when my child is returned.
______
Parent/Guardian signatureDate
Child’s Address: ______
Phone (child home):______Child Cell: ______Parent Cell:______Parent Wk: ______
Emergency Contact: ______Phone ______
Parental Consent Form
Photo Publication
Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program does not publish photos of minor children/youth without the consent of a parent or guardian. If you are willing for your child’s photo(s), taken at any BCYMP event, to be published, we ask that you read this consent form, sign and date it, and return it to us.
Please note that we DO NOT publish the NAMES of individual minors and are asking consent to publish images only.
Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program has my permission to use photos of my minor child taken at BCYMP events in print form and/or electronically, including on the BCYMP website, as long as my child participates in the program.
______
Minor’s Name
______
Parent/Guardian Name (print)Parent/Guardian Signature mm/dd/yy
Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program
600 Main Ave., PO Box 8443
Brookings, SD 57006
Phone: 605-697-0444
Email:
Website:
Activities and Punch Cards
You will receive an activity punch card for Brookings Parks & Recreation, which is good for up to 12 uses within one year. This punch card can be used at the Hillcrest Aquatic Center, Dakota Nature Park, and Larson Ice Center.
Passes for the SDSU Wellness Center and the Brookings Children’s Museum are available upon request and can be picked up at our office.
We also occasionally have gift cards for HyVee. We would like these to be used to purchase ingredients for a meal that the two of you can make together.
Please call or email at least two days in advance. Our regular office hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday in the second floor of the MetaBank building.
600 Main Avenue
PO Box 8443
Brookings, SD 57006
Phone: 605-697-0444
Email:
All Bobcat sports events, concerts, and theatrical plays are free to BCYMP mentor-mentee pairs. When attending these events, notify them you are a mentor with BCYMP. You and your mentee are encouraged to wear your BCYMP t-shirt, but it is not required. Below is a link to the Brookings Schools’ Activity calendar:
We host number of group events throughout the year. You will receive emails in advance so you can make arrangements for attendance with your mentee. You can also find more activity ideas and information on our website:
Brookings County Youth Mentoring Program
Mentor Resource Sheet: Whom to Call
Last update: September 2015
Resource / Contact Info / CircumstanceProgram Director / Patty Bacon
Office hours: Tues., Wed., Thurs.
Cell: 605-697-0444
Email: / General policies, general advice on mentor/mentee relationship. Resources/ideas, and event questions.
School Counselors / MMS: Carleen Holm 605-696-4556
Hillcrest: Dan McCormick 605-696-4604
Medary: Tammy Sweater 696-4349
Camelot: Lexi Seeley 605-696-4404
Dakota Prairie: Randi Hartman 605-696-4700
High School: Linda Johnson 696-4124 / Arrange for In-School appointments; social concerns, grades, friendships; fears/anxieties (yours or mentees!!); troubleshoot mentoring relationship, family dynamics and missed appointments
School Resource Officer / Officer Joe Fishbaugher
605-692-2113 (Work)
605-696-4175 (High School)
605-696-4509 (Mickelson Middle School)
Email: / Drugs, internet, violence or mentee safety concerns
Social Services / Phone: 605- 688-4330
Confidential Hotline: 1-866-847-7335 / If child’s safety/health is in question or if you have some concerns; any abuse, neglect, “red flags” you notice
Great After School Place / Each school has its own contact.
Call school for name/phone
Office: 692-8066
Hillcrest: 696-4645
Medary: 696-4369
Camelot: 696-4447
Dakota Prairie: 696-4909 / Arranging for after-school visits, pickups by mentor
(arranged & approved ahead of time in writing by parent)
Boys & Girls Club / 692-3333 / Arranging for after-school visits, pickups by mentor (arranged & approved ahead of time in writing by parent. Parent may also call the Club to give permission for child to leave with you. BCYMP needs to supply background check to B/G Club)
BATA Bus / 692-2222 / To arrange for a ride for yourself and/or your mentee.
$2.00 each way – in town rides (If given in advance)
7:00 am to 10:00 pm Mon-Sat;
7:30 – 6:00 pm Sun
24 hour notice normally required
Conversation Generators
1. If you could take lessons in anything, what would you learn?
2. How do you feel when someone pushes you to do your best?
3. If you could change lives with someone, who would it be? Why?
4. If you have to choose between doing activities inside or doing activities outside, which do you do? Do you think you have a balance?
5. What's the biggest way someone has made a positive difference in your life?
6. What are five words people would use to describe you? What words would you use?
7. When people first meet you, whom do you think they see? What do you wish they would see in you?
8. Who makes a better role model: someone famous or someone not famous? What are your reasons for thinking this?
9. Was there ever a time at school when you feared for your own safety? What was the situation, and what did you do?
10. What's the one thing that worries you the most about your future?
11. What was your first memory as a little child?
12. Who are the three people in your life you know you can always count on? Why did you choose them?
13. Do you believe there is too much pressure on kids today?
14. How widespread is cheating in schools today? What makes kids resist cheating?
15. What's the best story you've ever heard about someone overcoming an obstacle?
16. What is your favorite family tradition?
17. Which has more impact: giving money to charities or giving time to charities?
18. People say that writing down a goal is a powerful step toward making it happen. Do you think that is true? What goals would you write down?
19. What messages do you get about sex and alcohol or other drugs from TV programs, movies, and video games? What messages do you get from friends, teachers, and parents?
20. Are any parents of your friends "cool"? What makes a parent "cool" ?
21. If someone told you that you could start a new club or program at school, what would it be?
22. Think about the neighborhoods where your friends live. Is there one you would move to if you could? Why would it be better?
23. What slang expressions are popular at school? How do you use each one?
24. Have you ever seen someone bullying someone else? Did you step in or not?
25. What is your favorite place to study? What do you like about it? Of all your classes this term, which one will help you most in the real world?
26. Do you think there is more good or evil in the world? What makes you believe that?
27. What was the nicest compliment you ever received from an adult?
For more conversation starters go to:
Some of the best
times you can have
together may be
doing simple things.
Just talking and
being together is
important in
developing a good
relationship.
Not every activity
needs to be a great
adventure or expensive
entertainment.
Simply hang out or
try one of
the following
101 suggestions.
101 Simple Activities
ANYWHERE
1. Share a silly story from your past.
2. Describe something about your culture and heritage with one another.
3. Tell each other funny jokes.
4. Share something important that is going on in each of your lives.
5. Find out about each other’s favorite things—food, movies, music, etc.
6. Read through these ideas together and plan your next few activities.
AT HOME
7. Rent a movie or borrow one from the library and make popcorn.
8. Wash a car together and have a water fight.
9. Look through photo albums.
10. Grow your own veggies in a garden.
11. Make a playlist of your favorite music together.
12. Watch a scary movie in the afternoon.
13. Work on the engine of a car.
14. Watch a favorite television show.
15. Learn a new creative program on a computer.
16. Work on homework or a school project.
17. Read the same book and then talk about it.
18. Write thank-you letters to important people in your lives.
FOOD
19. Make ice cream sundaes, cakes, or cupcakes.
20. Bake homemade cookies.
21. Cook dinner together.
22. Roast marshmallows and make s’mores.
23. Make a dish with veggies from your garden.
24. Plan a dinner where you choose a different country for each course.
25. Meet early in the morning for breakfast.
26. Dip your favorite fruit in chocolate fondue or veggie in cheese fondue.
27. Make a homemade pizza.
28. Talk about your favorite recipes.
29. Barbecue shish kebobs.
30. Create a new kind of homemade ice cream.
31. Make yummy treats for your Program Coordinator, family, or friends.
GAMES
32. Learn a classic game, like Pick-up Sticks or Jacks.
33. Make and put together a puzzle.
34. Play cards.
35. Blow bubbles.
36. Enjoy a board game like Monopoly or checkers.
37. Do magic tricks for each other.
38. Play an interactive dance or movement
HOBBIES, ARTS, & CRAFTS
39. Paint or draw in this Journal.
40. Pick wild flowers and press them.
41. Make friendship bracelets for each other.
42. Design some stationery with paints or colored pencils.
43. Take pictures of each other and make frames for your photos.
44. Try woodworking.
45. Start a rock collection.
46. Make a model airplane, or car, or ship.
47. Play a musical instrument or start a band with
your friend and sing songs.
48. Draw on a sidewalk with chalk.
49. Tie-dye shirts.
50. Learn to crochet, sew, cross-stitch, or knit.
51. Collect stickers and add them to this journal.
52. Create your own Zen garden.
NATURE
53. Take a picnic lunch to the park or beach.
54. Volunteer to restore a local natural habitat.
55. Go on a walk or a hike on a nature trail.
56. Race snails.
57. Plan a photo safari—take pictures of animals
in their natural environment.
58. Fly a kite on a windy day.
59. Build a sandcastle at the beach.
60. Watch a sunset.
61. Go to a park and see who can swing the highest.
62. Gaze at the night sky and create a star map.
63. Plant native wildflowers in pots or planter boxes for
each of your homes.
OUTINGS
64. Go to a free play, movie, or concert in the park.
65. Visit a shopping center or mall.
66. Hang out by the water (pool, lake, river, or ocean).
67. See a movie.
68. Go to a farmer’s market.
69. Explore a county fair.
70. Take a tour of your local fire station.
71. Go to a bookstore or library.
72. Feed animals at a petting zoo.
73. Volunteer at a retirement community.
74. Together with another mentor pair, plan and do something fun.
75. Attend a life-skills workshop.
76. Find a fun neighborhood and take a walking tour.
77. Experience a school theatrical production together.
78. Tour the control tower of a small local airport.
79. Visit your local community center, YWCA/YMCA,
or teen center.
80. Go to a flea market.
81. Walk a dog.
82. Take a guided tour of a local community college or
four-year college.
83. Go to a local art festival or parade.
84. Take a class together (cooking, karate, pottery, etc.).
85. Explore tidepools.
SPORTS
86. Play Frisbeem shoot hoops, or kick a soccer ball
at the park.
87. Hit a few golf balls at the driving range.
88. Watch a professional sports game in-person or on TV.
89. Lift weights, do aerobics, or practice yoga.
90. Jump on a trampoline.
91. Try in-line skating or regular rollerskating together.
92. Play tennis.
93. Go skateboarding.
94. Shoot some pool.
95. Attend a collegiate sports game.
96. Go miniature golfing.
97. Rent a tandem bike and ride on a Bay trail.
98. Go jogging on a local trail.
99. Teach each other your favorite sport.
100. Find another mentor pair and learn double dutch.
101. Challenge your friend to a game of Ping Pong or fooseball.
*101 Simple Activities from 2011 Mentoring Journal
To: BCYMP Mentors
From: Patty Bacon, Program Director
Re: Terminating the Mentoring Relationship
The following article is adapted from website material on how to end the mentoring relationship in a way that is minimally difficult for the mentee. In many cases, modeling a healthy transition with your mentee actually gives them another “asset” -- another picture of the way healthy relationships can change, yet still be a source of affirmation and good memories. Please take the following suggestions into consideration as you consider transitioning out of your mentoring role.
Mentoring relationships may change over time and may end for any number of reasons. Some of these reasons include:
Either the mentor or the mentee drops out of the program.
Life circumstances may make it difficult or impossible to continue the relationship (a mentor is transferred to another city or changes in family responsibilities or living situations occurs for either mentor or mentee).
You have completed the nine month time commitment of the BCYMP program, and have determined that you are unable to extend your commitment
A mentor and mentee pair may not get along; the relationship just is not a good “fit.”
Your mentee may have been disappointed and negatively impacted by earlier experiences – as a result, he/she may be unwilling to take risks necessary for developing a relationship. Some mentor/mentee pairs remain “stuck” in the testing stage. In these instances, you may feel burdened by the relationship and frustrated by your mentee’s behavior. Always consult your BCYMP Program
Coordinator for further advice on how to proceed. If it is decided that it is most beneficial for the relationship to end, your Program Coordinator will work with both you and your mentee to make sure this process is done smoothly and with sensitivity for both you and your mentee.
When the time comes to end your mentoring relationship, for whatever reason, it must be done carefully and thoughtfully. The way the relationship ends can shape what your mentee thinks about and learns from the experience. Terminating the mentor/mentee relationship may recall the ending of other important relationships in participants’ lives. It sometimes includes a period of
grieving, depending on the relationship. Nonetheless, this transition can be a time for growth for both you and your mentee. You can think of the situation as a “graduation” rather than a loss.