U-Turn Academy & Butler Bingo

 

Thanks to Melynda Stone, Executive Director, Volunteers for Youth in Rogers County, for presenting “The 3 R’s: Recruitment, Retention & the Rewards” at the 2013 Access 360, Allies in Higher Education conference at Norman on September 23, 2013.  Melynda presented on behalf of the David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative to share mentoring ideas and to promote mentoring across the state. 

Mendy has previously presented this topic at the Fall Forum and also at the National Mentoring Summit 2013 in D.C.

Volunteers for Youth has multiple mentoring programs such as PAL mentoring, e-PAL, BLAST, Step Up, and the DFC (Drug Free Communities) Program in addition to activities and programs for county youth in general.  Melynda's leadership has increased helping youth since she began mentoring in 1999.  With all of her activities and a family, Melynda even mentors a young male.  'A true overachiever and builder!

 Programs: http://volunteersforyouth.com/programs/  The U-Turn Program is the new. 

"Volunteers for Youth announces the launch of a new youth-serving program and the addition of a new project director to the staff. U-Turn Academy, directed by Mr. John Killebrew, targets Rogers County youth (ages 11 to 17) who are on long-term school suspension from any school in the county. The academy, located at the Claremore Community Center, provides an academic setting with wraparound services..."  

Shared in photos is Butler’s Bingo, a new mentoring tool, borrowed and developed from one former PAL mentor Doris Butler created to encourage her mentee to talk.  Entrepreneurial and creative, Mendy has these available for sale along with “The Yo-Yo Journal,” a journal in which the mentor and mentee can take turns writing on topics, and “Tickets to Friendship,” tickets for a year’s worth of mentor-mentee activities. 

To see these and other mentoring resources: 

http://volunteersforyouth.com/programs/pal-program/mentor-resources/