Boys & Girls Club of West Central Missouri seeks participants for youth mentoring program
The Boys & Girls Club of West Central Missouri is looking for individuals interested in mentoring youths in the community, according to a club press release.
As part of a Boys & Girls Clubs of America grant initiative in conjunction with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office of Justice Programs and the U.S. Department of Justice, the Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri is implementing a pilot Mentoring Program at nine of its club sites in Green Ridge, La Monte, Leeton, Smithton and Sedalia.
Over the next two weeks, the club will recruit mentors from all across west central Missouri to meet with members on a weekly basis at the selected sites to help members establish goals, discuss accomplishments and provide homework assistance.
The club is specifically seeking mentors who, along with parents or guardians, will provide each youth with emotional support, counsel, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples in a safe and structured environment. Each mentor may serve up to three club youths at one time for at least two months, depending on the number of participants.
According to mentoring information released by the Boys & Girls Clubs of America in partnership with FirstPIC Inc., youths who have mentors experience fewer unexcused absences at school, are less likely to abuse drugs, demonstrate more positive attitudes, display greater confidence in their schoolwork and show improved academic performance.
“We are looking forward to the opportunity that has been placed before us,” said Brett Barth-Fagan, executive director of Boys & Girls Clubs of West Central Missouri.
“We know that bringing mentors into our club programs will have a positive and lasting impact on the youths we serve. We also know that this is going to be an extremely fun and rewarding process for the mentors because they will have the chance to meet the amazing youth we serve and make a difference in their lives.”
For more information about the program, call the club at 826-8331 or go to bgckids.com.
