BEST! Beginnings, Cache, OK

Amber DeWinter, Randy Batt, Rhonda Clemmer
and Shana Mellot

Cache's BEST!, an acronym for Building Extraordinary Students Today, held its first meeting on November 20, 2017, and launched the program at the beginning of the academic year in 2018. Slides follow.

One Recipe for Success of the One-hour Kickoff:

A leader...Rhonda Clemmer, who researches models and best practices, plans, etc.



Community leaders, who will perhaps drive the program and mentor, e.g., potential board members, school officials, pastors, etc. .

Objectives of the one-hour initial meeting:

• Serve as kickoff.
• Identify five to seven individuals to serve on the advisory board/committee from this group.
• Stir some excitement about our initiative and mentoring in general.
• Provide basic information on how a mentoring program works.
• Develop a list of potential mentors.

Agenda:

1.  Introduction of our community-school based mentoring initiative.

2.  The makings of an effective mentor program (mentor/mentee relationship, vision/mission of mentoring programs, outcomes expected, stakeholder roles, expectations of mentors, etc. 

3.  Call to action to get involved with as a donor, mentor, or advisor. 

Pre-approval to run the mentoring program under the Cache Schools Education Foundation and support of the school officials 

Completion of a mini-needs assessment to identify the target audience.  

More movers and shakers at the kickoff

David Fritz, David Dorrell and Tammy Fritz

Dr. Bruce Reeder, Teri Reeder, Brad Clemmer and Christy
Taylor, principal of Cache 5th & 6th Grade Center.

Chuck Rettig, Nolan Watson and Jan Watson

Presentation Slides

Thanks to Rhonda Clemmer for her diligent, thoughtful work done with her excellent  business acumen and experience. Congratulations to all who are making this mentoring program a reality and success.

The post of the 2018 Kickoff with mentors and mentees is in a subsequent post.

El Reno's SSS End-of-Year Mentor-Mentee Event

Many Oklahoma mentoring programs have an end-of-year mentor appreciation event as brunch, lunch, or dinner. From the program's launch in 2013, however, El Reno School Foundation's Students Striving for Success has closed its year with a fun mentor-mentee activity.














Suzanne Thompson, catalyst for Students Striving for Success, a trustee of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, and a Students Striving for Success mentor, reported upon the event.

Richard Steanson and Gerardo Troncosco,
Students Striving for Success board
members and mentors, line up the mentees.

"The El Reno Bowl was the party setting for the end of school fun day for El Reno's Students Striving for Success mentors and mentees. Pizza, bowling and hanging out with friends have become an annual event for this group which includes ninety-six students and as many adults.  

This mentoring program has helped our children feel connected to their community and given them encouragement to be active participants in its success."

Curtis Jones, 2015 Mentor of the Year for Students Striving
for Success, and Kenneth, his mentee

How precious are these lovely mentees? Absolutely priceless!

Celebrations always include food.

El Reno Superintendent
Craig McVay & Lathon, his mentee

Mark Gibson & Seth

Mark Gibson & Nick

Dana Gibson,SSS chairman
& mentor,  with Sam

Dana Gibson & Caitlyn

About the 2014 event

http://okmentor.blogspot.com/2014/05/students-striving-for-success-mentor.html

Air Force Mentoring Program, MyVECTOR

Research-based mentoring practices are applicable for all age groups and organizations. Many government and corporate entities have long had mentoring programs, although some have not been widely standardized, modernized, and accessible. The United States Air Force has launched MyVECTOR, a comprehensive, user-friendly mentoring program, which fosters more effective leaders and higher career attainment across its entire corps. We can borrow some ideas from MyVECTOR.

Note: The word vector in math and physics is "a quantity having direction and magnitude [size], especially as determining the position of one point in space relative to another,"according to Google. Most humans need a little help from time to time with direction and building of our lives, don't we?

Article below with photos:

MyVector

"AF launches MyVector, mentorship resources for Airmen"

http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/611670/af-launches-myvector-mentorship-resources-for-airmen.aspx

The Air Force recently launched an improved and re-branded Career Path Tool, called MyVector, which encourages mentorship between Airmen at all levels.

The first step in the success of MyVector is for Airmen to volunteer to be mentors and share their experience and expertise with other Airmen.

"Mentoring and networking are two of the most important things for leaders to embrace," said Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James. "Mentoring represents an investment -- one where we may not know the impact until many years later."

The reconfigured online platform supporting mentoring has a modern look and feel. These new configurations support not only the traditional by-name request method of requesting a mentor, but also provide a mentor-matching capability based on weighted characteristics identified by the Airman searching for a mentor.

MyVector has a real-time mentoring plan, discussion forums, a bullet tracker to document accomplishments, and the ability to dialogue online with your mentor. A resource page is also available to assist both parties with mentoring questions and relationships.

"Air Force mentoring fosters a culture of inclusion for all Airmen while maximizing their strengths, and is aligned with the culture of the Air Force for mission accomplishment," said Dr. Patricia McGill, the doctrine, institutional competencies and mentoring chief. "MyVector captures Airmen experiences within and across Air Force specialty codes and occupational series. Mentors will be able to provide feedback on their mentees' career progression."

Mentorship requires time, effort and dedication. To assist with this process, there is a "Mentoring Checklist" in Air Force Manual 36-2643, "Air Force Mentoring Program," which outlines how to plan for the different mentoring sessions.

"No matter your age, it's important to help each other," James said. "Seek a mentor and be a mentor."

For more information and to register for an online profile, please visit: https://afvec.langley.af.mil/myvector

Ret. 2-23-16

Below is from the MyVECTOR website, ret. 3-28-16

"Mentorship is about helping Airmen grow and think for themselves,
and mentees should not be dependent upon their mentors for success."

"Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James is a strong advocate of 

mentorship and encourages Airmen to be proactive about their career development."

"Effective Mentorship 
Facilitates the development of Airmen by
sharing resources, expertise, values, competencies, perspectives, and attitudes."

Air Force Mentoring 

Mentoring is a critical component of the Air Force's Force Development Construct. It is normally a relationship in which a person with greater experience and wisdom guides another person to develop both personally and professionally. Mentoring is not a promotion enhancement program but is designed to prepare Airmen for increased responsibilities. Goals of the mentoring program are to 

• Promote Growth

• Leverage Human Capital 

• Welcome New Employees

Note MyVECTOR's best practices as well as mentor and mentee expectations.

In addition to mentoring, MyVECTOR has career planning, mentoring connections, and knowledge sharing through Discussion Forums and many additional resources, some of which cannot be accessed without logging into the site. 

Two resources those mentoring older youths or adults might read:

• Coaching and Mentoring: How to Develop Top Talent and Achieve Stronger Performance, Harvard Business School Press  

• The Mentoring Advantage: Creating the Next Generation of Leaders, Florence Stone

Thanks to C. Brent Dishman, Attorney at Law, Dishman Military Advocates, for sharing the program with us. www.DishmanMilitaryAdvocates.com

Glenpool Mentor Match Story

Liz White, founder and
executive director of the
Glenpool Mentor Match

There have been two big inspirations for Glenpool Mentor Match.  The first source of inspiration for this program comes from a mentoring relationship that started many years ago.   When my husband was in elementary school, he had a big brother through the program big brothers/big sisters.  He was matched with a young college student by the name of Dow Hughes.  They met routinely over the course of a year, but the relationship did not stop there.  Dow stayed in touch.  Through the years, the two have done business together.  Our families have watched University of Oklahoma football together. The Hughes were the first to introduce my son to the Boy Scout Motto.  Dow is the reason I became a trustee for the foundation.  But more importantly, Dow has been available to offer advice in challenging times.   Scott and Dow are a great example of how powerful mentoring can be.  And this connection was the first spark of inspiration for our mentoring program.

The second source of inspiration for Glenpool Mentor Match came from my experience attending the Fall Forum on Mentoring.  After listening to educators speak about their school based mentoring programs, I left completely inspired to start a mentoring program in our local school district.  I also left with the information I needed to get it started from scratch.  With Beverly Woodrome’s help from the Boren Mentoring Initiative, we were able to launch a program under the umbrella of our local school foundation.

Part of her presentation focusing upon Oklahoma Mentor Day at the State Capitol, 2015.
Jerry Olansen was honored as Glenpool Mentor Match's Mentor of the Year.

Today we are now starting our third year in the program. The Glenpool Schools superintendent, Jerry Olansen, (in the picture here) is so committed to the success of the program that he encouraged nine other male administrators in the district to be mentors as well.  Over the past two years, we’ve seen one gifted young lady spend less time in school suspension and more time in her new found creative outlet, writing. In fact, last spring she won first place in a national writing contest and a trip to Washington, DC. Another young student unfortunately lost his mother to cancer.  He was matched with a male administrator who lost his son to brain cancer.  A relative of the mentor recently told me that the program has provided a unique sense of emotional support for both.

These positive stories and many more, can be linked back to the work of The Boren Mentoring Initiative and the decision for a young college student to become a mentor.  For that, I would like to thank you Dow for your gifts of time to our family and Beverly Woodrome and the Boren Mentoring Initiative for the wealth of resources they provide for mentoring programs.

Elizabeth "Liz" Frazier White 

Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence Trustee Meeting

Oklahoma History Center

9-10-15

Background

We asked Liz White, the founder and executive director of Glenpool Mentor Match, an elementary mentoring program, to speak only five minutes to our Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence trustees at the Annual Meeting. Each of our foundation's five statewide programs had only one representative to convey the impact of program. Liz spoke on behalf of mentoring.

Coaches' Mentoring Challenge, OPSU's Recognition

We cannot write this as well as Justine Gaskamp, Oklahoma Panhandle State University's Sports Information Director, did; therefore, we borrowed it. Note the recognition and background of the local mentoring programs highlighted during half-time. 

OPSU News

OPSU Head Football Coach Russell Gaskamp supports local mentoring groups through the Coaches' Mentoring Challenge.—Sarah Henderson photo (9/20/2014)

Coach Gaskamp Supports Area Mentoring

By Justine Gaskamp on 10/14/2014

Goodwell, Okla.—As a part of the Coaches' Mentoring Challenge, OPSU Head Football Coach Russell Gaskamp recognized local mentoring groups during halftime of the Sept. 20 Aggie home football game against Oklahoma Baptist University.

The Coaches' Mentoring Challenge is a collaborative effort by leading athletic coaches to connect more caring adults and young people through quality mentoring relationships. Along with the help of the Boren Mentoring Initiative, a program of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, coaches across the country are helping to promote the campaign and recruit more mentors.

As a show of support several local mentoring groups were present and recognized at halftime following a public service announcement by Gaskamp. In attendance were the Main Street Transformers group, Cassie's Kids, and the Texas County Family YMCA.

The Main Street Transformers were founded by Manny Barias and are directed by Melyn Johnson of Main Street Guymon. Focusing on high school students, the Transformers' mentors strive to help young adults learn about themselves and their community as well as help prepare them for their futures.

Cassie's Kids is a mentoring group founded by Cassi Joe Schriefer and is also a Main Street Guymon program. Designed for junior high-aged girls, their mission is to help young girls realize their- self-worth. The mentors meet at least twice a month, engage in group activities and offer help with school work.

The Texas County Family YMCA offers numerous programs for children of all ages. The YMCA believes in nurturing the potential of every child through organized activities and after-school-programs. Cassidy Livengood is the interim CEO of the Texas County Family YMCA in Guymon.

Gaskamp is proud to offer support to these groups stating, "It is a great project to be a part of and a true honor to be able to impact the community through football and coaching. When you give back to the community you get so much more in return and our football team really came together and had fun working with these groups."

For more information on the Coaches' Mentoring Initiative contact Beverly Woodrome, Director of the Boren Mentoring Initiative at 405-236-0006. For those interested in mentoring local youth, please contact the groups listed above.

     

###

www.opsu.edu/News/?id=2522 

Ret. 10-15-14

Teaching Math & Science with Results

Branding and Values

This creative two-week summer camp with innovative teaching of math and science was a phenomenal success. Math scores rose 35%. Youths had fun, too. Plans are underway to use the model for after-school. 

This high energy, productive model can easily be adapted without Biblical references for the values. Renee Spears, one of the authors and co-founders, sent us a copy of a student math binder. The concept she and Ginger created works. They plan to expand the concept to other academic areas. A must read!

Ponca City hosted its first two week Math, Science, and Bible Character Camp at Harmony Baptist Church this July 19 to August 1, 2014. The Northern Oklahoma Academic Tutoring Foundation, a nonprofit foundation started by the late Ron Hartman to promote and assist tutoring for Ponca City's students, sponsored the camp. The camp ran from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon, Monday through Friday, with 40 students from the public school enrolled. 

Enrollment forms were taken to the schools at the first of August. Those returning the sheet with confirmation of attendance or declining received a turkey feather from a turkey that had been harvested that hunting season.  A video of fainting goats was shown along with a description of other animals that would be attending the camp.

Reader's Theater

Geometry anyone?

Of the 40 enrolled, 32 students attended, and 27 were there every day. A pre-test and a post-test were given to the students to assess their math skills.  This included a multiplication sheet of the facts with no "twins" to prevent overwhelming the students.  The test was designed as well as the math books that the students used through the weeks by Ginger Henley and Renee Spears, both teachers at Ponca City schools.  

The math books consisted of one of every problem that a student encounters in third grade math curriculum. The students repetitiously worked through 25 pages of problems through the two weeks, beginning over at the first page each day.  Problem sheets were cleverly inserted into plastic sleeves in a binder so students could work the problems with a non-permanent marker and then wipe off the answers. A lesson was briefly taught each day on a new math skill to review or enlighten the students.

Science

The students began the day with Great Expectation practices of recitation with a quote, "We are conqueror of our destiny, not victims of our circumstances, and a motto, "I will not take personally what others say or do, it is a reflection of them, not me." Then they would learn a new character trait with a Bible verse each day, totaling 11 character trait cumulatively by the end of the two weeks.  

They would also learn that the power to live these character traits came only from God. The traits that come easily were their personality, not character. Character is when everything that you are does not want to do something, but you do it anyway because it is right. 

High school students assisted

The students were given the knowledge of how to have this relationship with God and who they are once that is established. They were also taught about the Armor of God and how to use it to protect who they are. Short testimonials were given by high school student workers of these practices being effective in their lives.

After opening, they began a rotation of seven centers lasting 25 minutes a piece. These centers consisted of a science center, art center, math workbook center, multiplication facts center, reader's theater center, recreation and animal center, and snack center. The curriculum for these centers was developed by Ginger and Renee. 

Animals were an integral part of the fun.The students had visits from fainting goats, gave a horse a bath, groomed a miniature horse, watched a tarantula crawl on the head of a worker, watched the sheering of a sheep, and a fish being cleaned, and collected and touched feathers of different Oklahoma water fowl. Also, examples of instruments played by the high school was integrated through the week.

One of the summer camp stars--a bass fish!

Ginger's son, Noah, caught for the program, a bass, 
Oklahoma's state fish. 
The teachers dissected the fish and 
then kept the meat to cook. 
The kids were besides themselves.  
Some wanted to keep the liver, heart, etc. 
It was a riot!   

An important part of our educational philosophy is that you have to have a child's heart before you can have his or her mind. This concept was the identifying theme of the camp.

Hands-on experiments

At the end of each day of the camp, a different student group would perform a skit that had previously been performed by the leaders at the opening and then practiced during Reader's Theater center. Character traits, the motto, and the quote would be reviewed along with a skit about bullying and bullying skills. For example, say, "Oh, really, hmm," and then walk away, feel the pain and go on.

"Eat this, not that!"

Crackers make learning more fun and tasty!

Finally, there were 27 students that attended every day. The students were given a peacock feather, donated by a peacock farm, if they did not miss a day. The test scores were only used from those 27. The results of the test showed a 35% increase in math skills over the two weeks.  The students mastered their character traits, motto, quote and bullying skills.  

The camp was dismissed with 32 student raising their right arm high and cheering," We are conquerors of our destiny, not victims of our circumstances!" in front of a parent group of 60 that attended the closing ceremony where certificates were handed out. Funds for the camp were provided by Northern Oklahoma Academic Tutoring Foundation.

For more information on the program, contact Renee Spears at deborah.r.spears@gmail.com.

Personal communication, 9-15-14

Renee's oldest son, Nicholas, 

and the family's miniature horse, Boo.  

The kids love him.  

They can learn grooming with him and 

aren't so afraid because of his size.