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2021-067 Mentor Denton UpdateDate: September 3, 2021 Report No. 2021-067       INFORMAL STAFF REPORT TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL SUBJECT: Provide an update on the Mentor Denton program BACKGROUND: In spring 2016, the City of Denton (“City”), United Way of Denton County (“UWDC”), and the Denton Independent School District (“DISD”) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) to support and grow Mentor Denton, a program that matches citizen volunteers with at- risk students to help support their academic and personal success. The MOU was effective July 1, 2016 (see Attachment 1) and shortly thereafter, DISD hired a Community Engagement Specialist to manage the duties and responsibilities of the program. Per the MOU, each entity would contribute $20,000 funding on an annual basis and the agreement would automatically renew on a year-to-year basis. The United Way of Denton County ended their participation in the program in 2018, while the City has remained a partner in the program. Denton ISD staff presented an informational update to City Council in a work session on August 5, 2019 and City Council wished to remain a partner for the program automatically renewing on an annual basis per the MOU. DISCUSSION: An overview and description of the Mentor Denton program from DISD is found in Attachment 2, including information on mentor and mentee recruitment, mentor screening, COVID-19 Statistics, frequently asked questions, and a timeline for 2019-2020 school year. In short, the program matches a volunteer mentor with a mentee student. Students in grades Pre-K and through 12th are identified for the program by the recommendation from teachers, parents, or principals based on academic achievement, social/emotional needs, socio-economic status, at-risk status, or parent/guardian request. Mentors and mentees meet each week at the school for 30-60 minutes, with an hour being ideal, for the entire academic school year. Students can work with their mentors on academics, focusing on homework or assignments, or reading fluency. In addition, they can also talk about school and life, set goals, or play strategic board and card games. For the 2019-20 school year (August 2019-June 2020), mentors and volunteers logged 65,000 hours prior to schools closing in-person instruction in March of 2020. The program continued virtually following the campus closures and volunteers logged another 3,423 hours. For the 2020- 21 (August 2020-June 2021) there were almost 2,000 volunteer hours logged even though volunteers and visitors were not allowed to be on campus during the 2020-21 academic year. Moving forward, this MOU agreement will be managed and monitored by the Community Services department, which monitors similar grants. Date: September 3, 2021 Report No. 2021-067       CONCLUSION: The MOU is continuing through the next academic fiscal year beginning July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 with the City contributing $20,000 in funding. If there are requests to learn more about this program or discuss the future of the program, it could be scheduled as a topic for a future City and DISD joint board meeting. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Mentor Denton MOU 2. Mentor Denton Program Update STAFF CONTACT: Stuart Birdseye Assistant to the City Manager Stuart.Birdseye@cityofdenton.com (940) 349-8009 Mentor August 2021 2 | Page 2019-2021 Mentor Denton Statistics COVID-19 Stats •Volunteers assisted Denton ISD’s Child Nutrition Department with feeding students during district-wide closure •843 Potential Volunteers expressed an interest in wanting to help serve meals •543 Volunteers completed 3,423 hours serving meals to students from March 18 - May 20, 2020 •Shift Smart workers - 78 displaced restaurant workers who worked 4,840 hours from March 22 to May 29, 2020. o Restaurant Workers with their food handling licenses signed up shifts to help with meal preparation o Their wages paid for by a private donor ($48,400). Adopt-A-School •District Partners in 2020-21 o Coordinated and judged the Art & Essay contest virtually o Submitted videos for virtual Read Across America of employees reading Mentors & Volunteers *Collection of Hours was interrupted for 19-20 year and no volunteers or visitors were allowed on campus during the 20-21 academic year. •2019-2020 – 65,000 hours until March 2019 with several unreported. •3,423 hours during COVID closure, alone, serving meals •2020-2021 - Almost 2,ooo hours was documented 3 | Page Denton ISD Mentoring Program All children have the potential to succeed in life and contribute to society. However, not all children get the support they need to thrive. In Denton ISD alone, there are 871 homeless children, 12,142 students who are on free lunches, and 1,863 students who are on reduced-priced lunches. This means 43.4 percent of the student population is considered economically disadvantaged, 37.7 percent are considered at-risk and 14.4 percent are English Language Learners (ELL). These are some of our students who need the support of a mentor, the most. If you reflect on your own youth, you may remember someone who served as a mentor, someone you could trust and turn to for support and encouragement, someone who made you feel special. Mentoring happens when caring individuals provide young people with support, advice, friendship, reinforcement and constructive examples. Mentoring can and does help young people succeed, no matter what their circumstances! At its most basic level, mentoring helps because it lets young people know that they have others who care about them, and who will listen to their dreams and help them achieve their goals. 2021-22 Recruitment Mentor Recruitment Denton ISD greatly appreciates the time and effort contributed by the many community members who make a tremendous difference in the lives of the students. For this reason, Denton ISD works with each mentor to assure a successful match, and provide the flexibility necessitated by the volunteer’s schedule. Strategies •Print media •In-person recruitment •Update the website Mentee Recruitment ●Campus administrators, counselors, and teachers may recommend students to become a mentee, based on academic achievement, social/emotional needs, socio-economic status, at-risk status, or parent/guardian request. ●All students who have been recommended to be a mentee will be recommended to the campus mentor contact (i.e. typically counselor or assistant principal) to be matched with a mentor. ●Some campuses may identify specific grade levels, needs, or criteria based on existing mentoring programs or new programs created with the Department of Communications & Community Relations ●All mentees must have a signed parent permission slip 4 | Page Screening Mentor Screening ●Criteria for serving as a mentor ●Becoming a Denton ISD Mentor is easy! Just commit to: o Complete the mentor application found at https://forms.gle/H27ou8LsZX8t2Snv8oComplete and pass the volunteer background check o Sign In/Out per Campus Guidelines. ▪Always follow the proper sign-in procedures when visiting a campus. ▪Always wear your Mentor badge. ▪Have your driver's license available on your first visit.o Report Hours ▪Make sure to report your volunteer hours on campus sign-in sheet.o Keep all student information private and confidential o Agree to meet with your mentee at the designated time and location each week for the 2021-2022 academic year o Notify the campus mentor contact whenever you are unable to make a session so that a mentee is not left waiting for their mentor to arrive Frequently Asked Questions ●Who are mentors? Community volunteers willing to share their time and expertise with an interested student are recruited to serve as mentors. The volunteers must complete an application and undergo a background and reference check. ●Do I need special skills to be a mentor? Many of our mentors have no previous teaching experience. The most effective mentors are those who are patient, committed, and willing to listen to their mentee. Mentoring volunteers do not need to be perfect, rich, or a superstar. Mentors simply need to be willing to help a young person by being a consistent, caring adult; someone who will help them problem solve, practice good communication and introduce them to new experiences and ideas. ●What do students do with their mentors? Students can work with their mentors on academics, focusing on homework or assignments, or reading fluency. In addition, they can also talk about school and life, set goals, or play strategic board and card games. •Where does the mentorship take place? Mentors meet their students at the schools and are directed to various areas to meet, such as the commons area, libraries, or reading nooks in hallways. ●How long does the mentorship last or does it take a lot of time? 5 | Page Some mentoring relationships last for many years, others do not. Mentors and mentees meet each week for 30-60 minutes, with an hour being ideal. DISD staff will work with the mentor to find the most convenient time for the meetings. The mentorship will continue for the entire academic year, unless extenuating circumstances arise. Most mentors develop relationships with the students and want to see them continue to succeed. We encourage mentors to follow their mentees to the next grade level as they progress through school. If you would like your mentoring relationship to continue after the program has officially ended, you (or your mentee) can speak with the program staff member about signing up for another year commitment. ●How long does it take to be matched with a mentee? Depending on the time of year and availability of mentees, it could anywhere from one week to a month to be matched. ●Will mentoring cost me money? Our mentoring programs require no monetary commitment from a mentor. Usually gift giving is discouraged, unless it has been approved by the program coordinator or the gift can be shared with all mentees in the program (e.g., a snack or goodie bag at an end of year celebration). ●Does mentoring make a difference? All children have the potential to succeed in life and contribute to society. However, not all children get the support they need to thrive. Mentoring benefits youth in many ways such as: -Improving self-esteem -Keeping young people in school -Helping to improve academic skills -Leading young people to resources they might not find on their own -Providing support for new behaviors, attitudes and ambitions -Increasing young people's ability to seek and keep jobs •Who can participate as a mentee? Students in grades Pre-K through 12th who have been recommended by teachers, parents and principals based on academic achievement, social/emotional needs, socio-economic status, at-risk status, or parent/guardian request. ●Are schools where mentors are needed failing? Of the young people who need a mentor, many face challenging circumstances such as poverty, inadequate health care, parental incarceration, or an unstable home life. Others simply lack access to experiences and resources outside their neighborhoods or need more encouragement and attention in school. Even those students who do not face challenging circumstances can benefit from a caring adult mentor - someone who says, "I believe in you." Remember that all schools are staffed by dedicated and hard-working educators who are trying to find the best solutions to meet the needs of their students. They welcome your support.