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S1 E5 - Celebrating OSD Mentors · Inside the OSD

• 0:03
  SPEAKER1: Welcome and thanks for joining me for this episode of Inside the OSD.
• 0:07
  January is National Mentor Month.
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  We're fortunate to have an amazing mentoring program in our district, and today we are going to learn all about it.
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  In this podcast, we're speaking with two people who were instrumental to establishing our mentor program.
• 0:23
  Rome Corners Intermediate School counselor Colleen Schell and Friends of Oregon School District Board member Karin Victorson.
• 0:35
  SPEAKER2: Welcome to this episode of Inside the OSD podcast, where it's all about the kids.
• 0:40
  Here is your host, lifelong educator, and our superintendent, Dr.
• 0:44
  Leslie Bergstrom.
• 0:49
  SPEAKER1: Thanks for being here, Colleen and Karin.
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  I'm so excited to talk with you today about a really important topic, mentoring.
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  First, I'd like to start by having each of you introduce yourself and talking about your role in the mentoring program here in the OSD.
• 1:03
  Who would like to start?
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  SPEAKER3: I can start.
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  I'm Karin Victorson. I'm a board member, a founding board member of Friends of Oregon School District.
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  And yeah, in my role in the mentoring program is part of FOSD's role is twofold.
• 1:19
  We recruit mentors and then we also help support the end of year celebration with mentors and mentees.
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  SPEAKER1: I remember back when FOSD started the mentoring program.
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  Can you talk about how you determine that this is what you all wanted to spend your time on?
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  SPEAKER3: Sure. One of the things that we were really interested in was listening to what the school district staff said were the real
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  needs that they saw in the school, and one of them was positive adult role models.
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  And so that became one of our big desires is to help facilitate a program that would help with getting those adults in the
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  schools.
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  SPEAKER1: And that's one of your broad six initiatives, right?
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  Because FOSD does a lot of things.
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  SPEAKER3: Yeah. We've done we addressed hunger, and transportation, technology, and this was the final piece to the puzzle that we really
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  wanted to make sure that that we facilitated.
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  SPEAKER1: Amazing. Thank you.
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  And Colleen, how about you?
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  SPEAKER4: I'm Colleen Schell, and I'm a counselor at Rome Corners Intermediate School.
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  When FOSD first approached and said, How can we help with this?
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  That was about in 2019.
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  We started talking about what we'd like to see.
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  So what I do now is generally do the training with the mentors, match their interests and skills and availability with
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  students, and we look at the students interests a lot.
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  One of the students just recently told me it's important to match their energy levels.
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  SPEAKER1: Oh, that's interesting!
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  SPEAKER4: "I have a high energy level.
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  I need a mentor with a high energy level." That was a sixth grader.
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  So once the program gets rolling and we have them matched, I do check ins a lot of time as the mentors arrive,
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  mess with schedules because things are always changing, and I mostly get to enjoy seeing the fruits of our labor.
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  SPEAKER1: Oh, well, thank you for bringing that up.
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  How exactly has it impacted our students?
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  Tell us about that.
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  SPEAKER4: A lot of the kids mostly I'm going to say it's anecdotal.
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  You know, you see their faces light up.
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  We hear about the cool things they're doing.
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  There's a student who is now eighth grade or a freshman, I think, whose mentor set them up with a lawn mowing business in the summertime.
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  We've had just really great relationships that we see.
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  SPEAKER1: What do they like to do together?
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  If a mentor is coming into the building and their student's at Rome Corners, what are some of the things that a mentor would do with his or her mentee?
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  SPEAKER4: It's a good question.
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  Some of them get really physical and like to go out and throw balls around or play games or our gymnasium.
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  We have some opportunities for cooking or baking or making ice cream in a baggie.
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  Arts and crafts are big playing games.
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  Lots of Uno.
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  Yeah. Who's Who or - a lot of game playing too.
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  SPEAKER1: Well, sure. I've been fortunate enough to work with a student from fifth grade all the way up through eighth grade now.
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  And in fifth grade, we spent a lot of time playing games, because if anyone's a parent, they know that oftentimes students talk the most when they're doing
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  something else, right?
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  Like if you're riding in the car together or if you're playing a game together.
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  So very often we would play Uno and just talk about life.
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  And it was a great opportunity to have important conversations in a super casual setting.
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  And it was fun for both of us.
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  As a matter of fact, it was the highlight of my week and still is when I get to go, when I get to go see her, because I think sometimes people are afraid that
• 5:06
  we're asking them to help with homework, and that's not the case, right?
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  SPEAKER3: I'm a mentor as well - 2 students in the junior high and middle school, and so I've seen the the impact that has had on those those girls over
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  time. And we still like to play games.
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  Just the other week we were playing tetherball.
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  We go outside, to do a walk and just get get a break from from school, you know, during the day.
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  And we walk outside and we played - I played tetherball with one of them and we were just laughing and laughing.
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  And it's just a release, I think, too, for these students that all of the social and academic pressures and stresses of life and just to have a release
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  with somebody that's positive is really helpful.
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  SPEAKER1: Yeah. You're just there to be a friend, and you're not there to ask all the parenting questions, like "how are your grades?" or anything like that.
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  You're just there to enjoy them and for them to enjoy being with you.
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  And it's a pretty low stress situation.
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  SPEAKER3: Very much so.
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  SPEAKER4: That's what we stress in our trainings, is that if you know how to be a friend, you know how to be a mentor.
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  And the whole theme of it is it's all about relationships.
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  And of course it takes time to build a relationship and they're going to go through like, "I don't really know you.
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  Can I trust you?" To the point where they become confidantes and have amazing things happen.
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  SPEAKER1: Well, I think that's important to remember that sometimes at adolescent age, they may act like they don't even want to meet with you.
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  But that doesn't mean that they're not looking at their watch when they think you're about to come because they want to make sure you'll be there.
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  SPEAKER4: That's true. Yeah.
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  SPEAKER1: So what are the skills - or what are the opportunities for adults who want to become mentors?
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  How do they do that?
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  SPEAKER3: So Friends of Oregon School District website has a mentor interest form.
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  So you just go to the website and you click on Initiatives and then there's a mentor interest form that you can fill out, and that goes to our mentor
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  coordinator, who will then set you up with a counselor.
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  And then there's a training, two hour training now, that the mentors will go through, just to get
• 7:19
  familiar with the program and some ideas of developmental relationships and different things that you can do with the mentee.
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  SPEAKER1: That's nice. So what skills are required?
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  What do you need to be able to do to be a mentor?
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  SPEAKER3: I think, as Colleen said, just being a friend.
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  You're not the parent, you're not a teacher.
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  You're not there to give advice necessarily unless maybe it's asked for, but really you're just there to listen and be an
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  encouragement. And I'm not one to to know how to do even like sixth grade math.
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  So I'm very thankful.
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  It's not about tutoring, but it's it's really about being willing to follow their lead and be creative in responding.
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  SPEAKER4: And one thing I would add to that is we love if our mentors just in the moment not having to preplan anything, can kind of help their child see some other
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  opportunities. Like maybe like, "Oh, you're really good in math.
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  Have you thought about being an engineer?" Or, "Oh, you like football?
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  Did you know that right now you can sign up through community ed to play football?" So just kind of expanding their possibilities.
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  SPEAKER1: Very nice. Do we still need mentors?
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  SPEAKER4: We always need mentors.
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  We actually have over 70 right now and we are continuing to grow.
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  And so we have two trainings coming up the evening of January 24th.
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  You can find more about this on the FOSD website and then during the day on January 27th.
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  So that's next week, Tuesday and Friday.
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  SPEAKER1: So can you also share a little bit about the end of the year celebration?
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  Because that's a lot of fun.
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  SPEAKER3: Yeah. So the staff that's involved as well as the mentors and mentees, we have a picnic with outdoor
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  games and it's just an opportunity at the end of the year to really celebrate and bring everybody together.
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  And it's really fun to see what it we have like over 100
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  SPEAKER4: people last year. We had a photo booth.
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  SPEAKER3: Yeah, we had a photo booth and yeah, yard games and just it was really great to see all those people together.
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  SPEAKER1: I have attended them and they are a blast.
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  As a matter of fact, a couple of years ago it was the first time for me on monkey bars in a couple of decades.
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  Yeah, so that was really fun.
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  And I'd say the other thing that's been really fun is watching my mentee mature, watching her become, you know, this really
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  amazing young person and knowing that she knows that I'm there is another caring adult in her life.
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  It really makes a difference.
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  SPEAKER4: It does. Thank you.
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  SPEAKER1: Is there anything else you'd like to share with people who are listening?
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  SPEAKER4: Well, we appreciate and welcome all people to be mentors.
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  We especially have students that could use a mentor who is a male or a person of color.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER1: Thank you. Yeah.
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  SPEAKER3: And I really think one hour a week, sometimes it's a little bit daunting, like, "how am I going to find time to do something like this?
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  And "what kind of investment is it?" And it's really one hour a week and the staff at the school districts make it so easy.
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  You show up, you put on your lanyard that says you're a mentor.
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  You go to the meeting space that they have set for you and you spend time with your students.
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  So the work, it's just showing up.
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  And so it's really, really easy to do and find time for, and it's well worth it, the impact it's had on me.
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  Just like you mentioned, Leslie, has been tremendous.
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  SPEAKER1: Thanks to both of you for all of your continual efforts to ensure that students in our school district have what they need to thrive.
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  It's a very important component of serving the whole child, which is one of our five core values in our district.
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  We are truly grateful.
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  Now I want to turn to a few of our students who are mentees who have been matched with a mentor.
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  I'm here with three of them right now from RCI.
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  And I'm going to have them talk a little bit about their experiences.
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  So I'm going to start with the first student who's on my left here.
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  And I'm going to ask you, what is your favorite thing about having a mentor.
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  SPEAKER5: Having someone to talk to and having someone that will listen to you.
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  SPEAKER1: Thank you. How about you?
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  SPEAKER6: The same. Like how she listens and she's like, you have someone to hang out with if your friends are like, ditching
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  you or something.
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  SPEAKER1: Thanks. And what do you think?
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  SPEAKER7: Well, also, I like that my mentor can talk with me and make me have a better day.
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  And, like, she's crafty like I am, which is good because I barely find people with my same energy.
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  SPEAKER1: Very good. Very good.
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  Someone to match your energy.
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  All right, So here's the next question for you guys, and I'll start to my right this time.
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  What kinds of things do you do with your mentor?
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  SPEAKER7: Well, we mostly do arts and crafts.
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  SPEAKER1: Yeah.
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  SPEAKER6: We do our nails a lot.
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  SPEAKER7: She likes knitting and sometimes she brings projects to knit really fastly, so.
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  SPEAKER1: Oh, that's fun.
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  How about you?
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  SPEAKER6: We play games, we take walks around the school, and I mostly have to show her how to get out of the school because she is
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  like, gets lost.
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  SPEAKER1: It's easy to get lost in our schools.
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  What are some of the favorite games?
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  SPEAKER6: Probably her Operation because she always wins at it.
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  We don't really play games except for Operation, and we paint a lot too.
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  SPEAKER1: Very nice. How about you?
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  SPEAKER5: I like to play like board games.
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  Like Connect Four, Battleship, Uno.
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  Those are the games.
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  SPEAKER1: Who wins more often? You or your mentor?
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  You? Okay.
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  Very good. Very good.
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  All right, so here's my last question.
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  I'm really interested in what you three have to say about this.
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  And I'm going to start over here again.
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  What would you tell an adult who is thinking about becoming a mentor?
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  SPEAKER5: Probably just listen to the students and hear what they got to say or like, I guess, yeah, that's all I
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  got.
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  SPEAKER1: That's good. What do you think?
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  SPEAKER6: I'd say go for it.
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  SPEAKER1: Because
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  SPEAKER6: Like, you can mostly find someone that matches your energy and it's like you can get your energy out and you have someone to talk to and
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  like, it'll make your day way better.
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  SPEAKER1: I agree with you.
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  And how about you?
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  SPEAKER7: For me, just.
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  I guess be yourself.
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  Don't try to act a certain way in front of the students because maybe they would like feel to hide something from me or something.
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  So technically just.
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  Also go for it.
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  Be your normal self with them and give them good advice when they are in trouble.
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  SPEAKER1: Talk about good advice.
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  You three just gave great advice to people who might be interested in becoming a mentor.
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  Now, let me ask you this.
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  I didn't ask you this question before, but I'm interested in what you're going to say.
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  Would you become a mentor when you're an adult?
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  SPEAKER6: Yes, I'd go for it right away.
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  It'll be like, My God, the best thing ever.
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  SPEAKER1: I love hearing that.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER7: How about you? For me, I would try it out.
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  I would definitely try to be a mentor and try to find a child, a student, to
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  SPEAKER1: just to hang out with.
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  SPEAKER5: And you? If I have the chance.
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  Maybe because I like talking to people and hearing people and like, just trying to make people feel better, I guess.
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  SPEAKER1: Well, I think what all of you are talking about is the importance of relationships, right?
• 15:28
  Connecting with people.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER7: Also kind of communication.
• 15:32
  SPEAKER1: Yeah. Yeah. Very good.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER6: You don't know them as well when you start, but then you, like, grow trust and you guys bond together and then you look forward to it every day.
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  SPEAKER1: Well, honestly, after listening to the three of you, I can't imagine there are many people out there who would not want to become a mentor.
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  So thank you.
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  You guys were great ambassadors of this program.
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  I want to remind our listeners, you can find links to inside the OSD on our website at OregonSD.org/podcast.
• 16:05
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• 16:11
  Make sure to subscribe if you're listening on one of these apps to get notifications on the most recent episodes.
• 16:17
  Thanks for listening and we'll see you next time on Inside the OSD, where it's all about our kids.