Thursday, March 28, 2013

Etiquette


Etiquette is literally and figuratively one's ticket into the rest of the world.

From the French word étiquette, meaning "ticket," Dictionary.com defines etiquette as "the forms, manners, and ceremonies established by convention as acceptable or required in social relations, in a profession, or in official life" or "the rules for such forms, manners, and ceremonies." 



The link below is a brief, useful tool for mentors and mentees to review as well as all adults in need of a refresher. 

Consider the possibilities of a mentor's introducing and practicing a topic each week with a mentee.  Think of the weekly opportunities to practice handshakes and eye contact as well as introductions.  Imagine the end-of-year banquet or even last school lunch when both mentor and mentee practice everything learned.  Paper plates and plastic utensils work splendidly in any practice setting!  Introduce a mentee to writing brief thank you notes.  Begin with a note to thank a teacher or teachers. 

http://ok.gov/odmhsas/documents/ODMHSAS%20Training%20Handout_11%2016%2011.pdf

Let us know how you apply or can apply etiquette lessons to your mentoring. 



Photos from www.fotosearch.com





Note:  The link above was serendipitously found while researching the website of Carey Sue Vega, an Oklahoma City etiquette expert.  More about Carey and how she may help mentoring will follow in a subsequent blog inspired by Chickasha Public Schools Foundation and its Diamonds in the Rough program.  Thanks, Joyce Black and Debbie Fritter!

www.careysuevega.com










Monday, March 25, 2013

Activity, Fairview Mentor of Brothers

Mentor activities vary considerably.  Fairview's Mission Mentor of the Year Garet Edwards encourages his two mentees to try new activities as well as set and achieve goals. 

Garet had his mentees Clint and Koby Swanson train for a 5-K run in Fairview. 

According to Mission Mentor's Randi Lackey, who took these photos, "They ran it together, and Garet pushed his daughter in the stroller!  Garet is usually either wearing a ballcap or cowboy hat."
                           
Right:  Garet with Koby Swanson
Below:  Garet Edwards, Mentor of the Year      

For more activities, photos and Garet's tribute: 
http://www.ofe.org/mentoring/honored-mentors-2013/edwards-garet.htm








A photo of Clint, Koby and Garet in front of The Guardian statue at the State Capitol, Oklahoma Mentor Day, January 16, 2013

Friday, March 22, 2013

Showing Up

We all love the heart-warming, sometimes humorous stories created through mentoring.  Borrowed from an email is one such story written by Dr. John Sowers, founder and president of The Mentoring Project. 

After reading, send us your mentoring memory.

"The Mentoring Project's president, John Sowers is a contributing writer for Donald Miller's Storyline blog.  Storyline featured a blog from John emphasizing the importance of showing up in the life of your mentee." 

Click the link below to find out why monkeys remind John of his first mentor, Tom.

www.storylineblog.com/2013/03/20/win-by-showing-up

"Showing up for a young person is the key to making a lasting impression in their life!"  John Sowers

To learn more about Dr. Sowers' mission: http://thementoringproject.org/

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Physical Activities and Grants

Under the "Education"topics on the March 19, 2013 NBC Nightly News broadcast were these three videos about innovative physical education or wellness programs, acquiring the equipment through writing grants and the positive results of the activity on academics.  What can you do in your community?

Think rock climbing wall, treadmills with video monitors featuring games, a light-up dance area, kayaking, and so many other fun activities.  Even the gym classroom is a social center where students can participate with or exercise beside friends and chat.


"School's Creativity Gets Kids Exercising"
 
"Miami Kids:  'It's fun; it's not just about working out'"





"Educator: Learn How to Write Grants"
http://www.nbcnews.com/video/nightly-news/51249785/#50119706  








Photos: NBC Nightly News

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Tulsa Mayor Bartlett and Mentoring

Click on the link at the bottom to read what these mayors say about mentoring.  We are especially proud of Tulsa's Mayor Bartlett.

Recently, MENTOR Minute featured Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl’s Promise Coaches initiative, which gives adults with the skills and resources needed to mentor young people through high school and on to higher education.

Mayors in the following cities have also recently announced efforts to include quality mentoring as a key component of citywide efforts in response to pressing issues:
  • Chicago, IL, Mayor Rahm Emanuel
     
  • Holyoke, MA, Mayor Alex Morse
     
  • Minneapolis, MN, Mayor R.T. Rybak
     
  • New York, NY, Mayor Michael Bloomberg
     
  • Philadelphia, PA, Mayor Michael Nutter
     
  • Tulsa, OK, Mayor Dewey Bartlett
    Mayor Dewey Bartlett’s Mayor’s Mentoring Breakfast during National Mentoring Month was not only a celebration, but also a call to increase the number of mentors who volunteer in one-to-one and school-based settings. "Mentoring is not just a one-day-a-week effort, it's a long-term commitment," Bartlett said in his remarks. Panelists at the breakfast who attested to the positive outcomes of mentoring represented organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma, the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce (Partners in Education), the YMCA and Capital One. The mayor’s wife, Victoria, has spearheaded the "Mentoring to the Max" program for several years, and she recruits others to experience the joy of mentoring. “I have a vision for this city," she said. "We have 10,131 children that live in poverty. I believe that we need to recruit every corporation, every faith-based group to go into our public schools, to allow their employees to go one hour a week to read to a child and stay with that child all the way through high school. We will be interrupting the cycle of poverty." To read more about the mayor’s involvement in Tulsa mentoring, click here.
  • Columbia, SC, Mayor Steve Benjamin
     
  • New Orleans, LA, Mayor Mitchell Landrieu

http://www.mentoring.org/news_and_research/americas_mayors_use_mentoring_to_address_critical_issues/

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Tributes: Oklahoma Mentors of the Year 2013


Read the tributes and see more photos of the Mentors of the Year by clicking on the names below. 

 

Honored Mentors 2013

Regina Daniel
A & W - Asbury and Whitman Elementary Connection,
Asbury United Methodist Church
Quynh Phi
Academic All-State Alumni Mentoring Program,
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Scott Lesser
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma City
Tammi Goodall
B.I.S.O.N. Mentors, Leedey Public Schools
Jonah Johnson
Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma County

Jennifer Holland
Cameron University
Kambria Givens
Camp Fire Green Country
Abby Prescott
Canaries Running Team,
The Mentoring Project
Lisa DelCol
Cheasapeake Energy
Cheryl Foshee
Citizens Caring for Children

Beth Griesel
Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma
Capt. Kevin Penn, USAF
GoodGuides Youth Mentoring,
Oklahoma Goodwill Industries
Bernard Jones
INTEGRIS Positive Directions
Mentoring Program
Claudine Dickey, Ph.D.
Kids Hope USA
Jane Sears
Lowe Family Young Scholars Program

Garet Edwards
Mission Mentors
Brandon Vincent
OKC Youth Wrestling Foundation
Jenalee Mitchell
PAL Program, Volunteers for Youth
Tonya Finley
Passport to the Future, Little Dixie
Community Action Agency
Carol Godwin
PEBBLES Program,
Jane Phillips Elementary School

Peck Loy
Positive Tomorrows
Henry Kirkland, Jr., Ph.D.
Project 859, GiANT Experiences
Janelle Lasley
Project Ready Mentoring Program,
Urban League of Greater Oklahoma City
Eric “Ric” Bailey
Project Transformation,
Asbury United Methodist Church
Amanda Streitmatter
SandRidge Energy

Wanda McCall
Sequoyah Elementary School, Tulsa
Andrea Holgado, Ph.D.
Southwestern Oklahoma State University
Cindy Colton
Studio 222 After School Program,
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Kristy Johnson
Studio 222 After School Program,
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church
Brian Fehr
Touchstone Youth Project

Karlin Williamson
Tradesman Mentoring,
S.T.A.A.R. Resources Agency
David Tarpenning, Ph.D.
University of Oklahoma
Janet Price
Volunteer Center Tutoring Program,
United Way of Central Oklahoma
Zoe Haskins
Whiz Kids Oklahoma, City Care
Donna L. Evans
Youth Service


http://okmentors.org/   "Oklahoma Mentor Day at the Capitol"

Monday, March 4, 2013

Girls' STEM Resources & Activities


SciGirls is a fun, fascinating interactive resource for STEM.  Mentors and mentees, students, parents, teachers and others will like this tool.


http://pbskids.org/scigirls/

Some SciGirls photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/scigirls

Catherine Carter, the museum educator at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, is a certified SciGirls trainer.  She will come to communities around Oklahoma to work with girls, who need to be in love with and understand STEM from elementary on to have the choice of STEM careers later.

Mentoring groups can lead by organizing other groups of girls from ages 8 or 9 through middle school age to participate. 

Below is the contact information for Catherine.  Let us know if she presents a program; send photos and a critique.

Catherine Carter, Museum Educator
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
T.  405-325-2353

[Thanks to the Oklahoma Afterschool Network in Oklahoma City for bringing such a fantastic group of women and resources together for OKAN's quality standards task force.  Catherine was one of many!]