Mentoring
at Sallye B. Mathis Elementary School
"Mentoring comes first, because we know that if society doesn’t provide constructive mentors and role models for kids they are going to find their own on street corners, in gangs or in drug dens.”
- Remarks by General Colin Powell at the 1998 California Mentor Summit hosted by CMF and Disneyland.
Like many churches in the Jacksonville area, our congregation has been extremely concerned about the sharp increase in violence our city has been experiencing in recent months. We have been especially heartbroken about the upsurge in youth violence, one of the highest increases in homicides and violence nationwide, which has taken the lives of many young people in 2006. As we began to dialog and pray about how we could contribute our time and resources to “rebuild the walls around Jacksonville and more specifically around the children in Jacksonville” we began researching in-school mentoring initiatives.
Our research led us to believe that mentoring has proven to be a simple approach for a range of complex issues. A recent study conducted by California Mentor Foundation documents the following:
- 98% of youth matched with mentors stayed in school
- 98% of youth matched with mentors did not become a teen parent
- 98% of youth matched with mentors avoided gang participation
- 85% of youth matched with mentors did not use drugs
Mentoring has also proven to be economically efficient as the most potent, cost-effective, preventative youth development strategy available today.
Christ Church wanted to approach our commitment to mentorship like the old African proverb about how to eat an elephant… one bite at a time. From our research we learned that the developmental periods prior to the beginning of school (0–5) and during the K–Grade 5 elementary school years represent the two most critical opportunities for mounting preventive initiatives to offset later problematic outcomes, including school failure and delinquency. These two periods have everything to do with enhancing school adjustment and academic success and set the stage for coping with the challenges of adolescence. Children who come to school free of neglect and abuse, healthy in a physical and emotional sense, vaccinated, and ready to learn are far more likely to successfully negotiate the complex demands of the schooling process than those who are not. Similarly, those who get off to a good start in school, who learn to read at grade level by the end of Grade 3, and who do not display a challenging behavior pattern are more likely to experience school success and its many protective benefits (Citizens Crime Commission, 2000; Hawkins et al., 1999).
For that reason, we strategically targeted a challenged elementary school located in North Jacksonville, Sallye B. Mathis, and approached the administrators about a partnering relationship. Our idea was to take a small segment of youth at this school and commit to a long term in-school mentorship relationship…which would follow them to subsequent grades. Our hope was that in time we would also establish an after-school program for the students that would include teaching life skills, character development using biblical principles and sport activities. After discussions with school administrators at Sallye B. Mathis we learned more about their needs, and subsequently agreed to provide mentors for two different types of activity: one-on- one mentoring and special projects.
Research on community-based programs has demonstrated that a strong infrastructure is necessary if the adult-youth relationships are going to be effective and make a positive difference in the lives of youth. The focus throughout this initiative will be building that infrastructure so that we can measure the impact we have on the lives of the children.
Our Mission
Our mission is to educate, equip and empower a new generation of leaders by engaging in Christ-honoring, mutually transforming relationships with those who will bring about a positive, permanent change to North Jacksonville. True and lasting community transformation comes from within. Sometimes all that is needed is an infusion of hope and mercy from the outside.
A Broken City
A PDF to of some amazing stats on how broken our city is. Click here to download.
Get Involved!
(coming soon)
Contact
If you would like to become a mentor, or would like some more information on our mentoring program, you can contact Carol Sittema:
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