Mentor Program Gives Kids A Leg Up On Life

DANBURY — “It only takes one special adult in a child’s life to make a difference,” affirmed a guidance counselor interviewed about the effectiveness of the Danbury Schools and Business Collaboration (DSABC) Mentoring Program.

The ten-year-old program, which matches more than 600 area business people with an equal number of children from 17 schools in the Danbury Public School District, was the focus of a study conducted by five researchers as preparation for the masters of science degree at Western Connecticut State University. Their task was to evaluate how well the program was working for the various groups involved – students, mentors, teachers, guidance counselors, and parents.

Mentors who are employees of some of the area’s largest companies, including Duracell, Pitney Bowes, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Cendant Mobility, and GE Capital, enthusiastically endorse the program and plan to continue. Mentors and sponsoring employers feel the relationships that develop net measurable improvements in students’ confidence and self esteem, both considered essential characteristics of kids who stay in school and do well. The DSABC Mentor program meets at the school for one hour each week.

Teachers agree. They note improvements in mentored students’ communication and reading skills, but underscore it is the bond between a caring adult and a child that is at the core of the program’s success.

“The mentor program was launched as a way to help children see productive futures for themselves,” said Judy Hlavenka, the DSABC Mentoring Program Director. “It pairs students who need the extra support with successful adults who are committed to make a personal contribution to the community. When young people begin to shape goals for their future and pattern their behavior on positive role models, we see real changes in their achievements and behavior in school. The program is a real win-win for the community.”

Students report the mentor relationship makes them feel heard, valued, understood, and appreciated. In surveys, several children referred to their mentors as part of their family or as “my best friend.” Both the literature and the surveys underscore the correlation between the amount of time an adult spends with the child and the success of the mentoring relationship. According to the study’s authors, the mentor’s commitment of time builds a child’s trust, and that trust is an essential ingredient in creating a bond between the mentor and mentee.

After a rigorous examination of the literature, the researchers developed five surveys tailored for these groups. A total of 2,520 surveys were distributed and nearly half, 1,165 or 46 percent, were completed and returned. Researchers wrote, after tabulating the survey and interview results: “All children posses special talents and gifts, and the mentoring relationship serves to nurture those important gifts.”

The DSABC program offers a unique contribution to a student’s educational and personal experience as evidence by responses from all participants in the program. Recommendations to improve the program’s effectiveness included providing more opportunities for mentors, teachers, and parents to communicate about the children and designating more spaces for mentors to meet with children.