Teacher Mentor and Community Mentor Model

2015 Bob S. Gee Scholars and their mentors gather for meeting at the Miami Public Schools Administration offices. The program, which provides mentoring and financial support to students, is sponsored by the Miami Public Schools Enrichment Foundation.

2015 Bob S. Gee Scholars and their mentors gather for meeting at the Miami Public Schools Administration offices. The program, which provides mentoring and financial support to students, is sponsored by the Miami Public Schools Enrichment Foundation.

Miami Public Schools Enrichment Foundation has created a two-mentor plus model. 

Highlights of Gee Scholars

• Teacher mentor
• Community mentor
• Mentee: FRSL, 8th - 12th grade
• Mentee's progress tracked
• Financial assistance

Robert S. Gee Scholarship Program
 

The Robert S. Gee Scholarship Program, sponsored by the Miami Public Schools Enrichment Foundation, was established in 2005 to provide both financial and mentoring support to help launch students toward personal and academic success.
 

"The program seeks out students in eighth through 12th grades who have shown a high degree of academic ability but whose socio-economic situation presents barriers to reaching their full potential," said longtime program chairman Ginny Stinson.
 

To participate, students must be nominated by a teacher and be eligible for the federal free and reduced lunch program. Students selected for the program receive intensive mentoring from both a teacher mentor and community mentor, who is often a foundation board member. The student and his or her mentors establish their own mentoring schedules, and the chairperson of the Gee Scholarship Committee meets with each student on a regular basis to track his or her progress.
 

Scholars also receive financial assistance to pursue academic and extracurricular activities. Once selected, the students remain in the program throughout high school. The program is funded from community donations and interest income from the Gee Scholarship Fund, providing approximately $500 to $700 per year to each student for school-related expenses, which must be approved by the scholarship committee.
 

"Appropriate requests for financial assistance include almost anything that assists the student in pursing academic or extracurricular endeavors, such as band, debate, science fair, etc.," Stinson said. "Senior Gee Scholars often use their funds for college applications, graduation supplies or college enrollment fees."
 

Since the program began, it has distributed more than $25,000 to 30 Gee Scholars. Stinson said the program's success can be measured by the strong community support and the many Gee Scholars who have been admitted to college, including two who received full-ride college scholarships.
 

"Gee Scholars themselves help raise funds and general community support for the program by sharing their stories and plans for the future at the foundation's annual fundraising dinner, the Blue Event," Stinson said.

Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. (2016) Three Public School Foundation ProgramsTo Be Recognized for Outstanding Achievement [Press release].