_0.jpg)
Big Brothers, Big Sisters join forces with districts to provide meaningful mentoring
The concept is as old as education itself. Elders impart their knowledge on the young, and in this case, 25 ninth, tenth, and eleventh-grade Lemoore High School students, referred to as Bigs, will serve as once-a-week mentors to twenty-five elementary students (Littles).
Central California Big Brothers, Big Sisters
The “Bigs” and the “Littles” were all on hand Thursday afternoon, and were joined by a myriad of teachers, family members, elected officials and officials with the Central California Big Brothers, Big Sisters as Lemoore Mayor Ray Madrigal cut a ceremonial ribbon officially anointing the new program between the two school districts.
The program’s already underway, for almost a month now, having started officially February 23. Prior to that date, Lemoore Elementary officials identified the first 25 students who would participate in the program using criteria such as “Free and Reduced Lunch” statistics, whether that child is from a single-parent family, students who struggle in class, or smiley kids with attendance issues.
At the same time, Lemoore High School officials spent weeks identifying at least 25 mentors through an demanding application process and subsequent interviews.
According to Big Brothers, Big Sisters, a “Big” is a mentor who spends time with a young person, giving him guidance and then helping that youngster navigate the intricacies of school life and friendship, and at the same time helping young students develop and improve their social and academic skills.
The high school students visit once a week, generally Thursday, to mentor their counterparts. Each “Big” has a “Little” and exclusively mentors that student, whether it’s helping with homework, or just having a “Big Brother, Big Sister” conversation.
The Lemoore program is one of 18 partnerships in the Central Valley, impacting about 700 young people in need of mentorship. A similar program, the Community Big Brothers, Big Sisters program – matching adults with young people – is currently serving about 300 young people in the Central Valley.
Diane Phakonekahm, the Big Brothers, Big Sisters Central Valley executive director, has spent a lot of time in Lemoore helping pave the way for the unique program, and she was on hand Thursday to help introduce the program, expressing her hopes for the program.
“For high school students, we’ve seen a tremendous impact,” said a smiling Phakonekahm as youngsters and their high school mentors posed for photos nearby. “We’ve been doing this for five-plus years. We want them to graduate. We want them to become leaders. We want them to give back.”
She said the overall purpose, simply put, is that the program produces well-rounded, loving kids, and above all, good citizens. “That’s what we want from these kids,” she said.
“We want the students to have better self-esteem, and we want them to know that they’re special, that they’re loved by their community and their family.”
The Lemoore program, said Phakonekahm, is one of the few school districts that doesn’t fully pay for the program. A concerted effort was made by many individuals – and others – to raise approximately $20,000 to get the program going. “It took the community, it took leaders like (Mayor) Ray Madrigal and the superintendents to step up. All those people were involved. By far, this program was one of the most challenging, but I told my board, please, we have a bunch of people that really care about their community. Please let’s not give up on them.”
Raising the $20,000 per year in funding for the program wasn’t easy, but thanks to many local sources, including an $8,000 grant that Lemoore Police Chief Darrell Smith helped obtain, the money was raised. Other funds included a donation from Dr. Amy Coeler’s Smiles for Life program, a Bowl for Kids’ Sake Tournament last spring, and a Central California Big Brothers, Big Sisters fundraiser. The Kings Lions Club also chipped in with a large donation as did Muni Temps, an accounting firm that worked for the City of Lemoore.
Madrigal, who’s been on the ground floor planning for the past two years, said, “This has been a long time coming. A lot of work went into this program. I know this is going to be a big success, and I’m really happy for the community and you kids.”
At least one other “happy” students was 14-year-old Jasmeen Manger, one of the “Bigs” picked by Lemoore High School officials to mentor elementary students. She was paired with a second grader by the name of Karen.
“I got involved in this program because I loved to work with little children, and I have two little brothers at home who I love working with, and I thought this would be a great experience for me, just getting to know someone new,” said a smiling Manger as her “Little,” a beaming Karen, looked up at her.
