Format

Individual Presentation

First Presenter's Institution

The First Ladies Youth Leadership Foundation, Inc.

Second Presenter's Institution

Rockdale County Public Schools

Third Presenter's Institution

NA

Fourth Presenter's Institution

NA

Fifth Presenter's Institution

NA

Location

Session 6 Breakouts

Strand #1

Home: Family & Community Engagement

Strand #2

Heart: Social & Emotional Skills

Relevance

Post COVID-19 it is necessary to meet the social emotional needs of our K-12 and collegiate level student population in unprecedented ways. Public school state budget cuts, the lack of adequate mental health professionals, traumatic experiences stemming from the global health pandemic, racial, economic and gender disparities have increased the need for positive family and community engagement. Two effective tools designed to bridge and build the educational sector, community at-large and the family are multi-tiered school-based and community-based mentoring programs.

Brief Program Description

While few students have been sick with COVID-19, education disruptions and national social unrest have impacted the social emotional stability of 56.4 million children. One resource bridging the student, the family and the community is a multi-tiered mentorship program. School/community/faith-based mentorship programs effectively addressing disparities by integrating cultural awareness curricula build our rising leaders. Attend this workshop designed to show how this is done effectively.

Summary

INTRODUCTION:

All ten sectors of our global society have been impacted by the global health pandemic. Three areas of particular concern are the family, education and the community at large. Why? The well-being of our children also known as Generation Z not only creates an integration of multi-sector impact but also a multi-generational impact. While fewer students have been sick with COVID-19, school enrollment and nation-wide social unrest have impacted over 56.4 million children. “Education disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are preventing children from getting their education off to the best possible start,” said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore. As a result, the effects of the pandemic have exposed the gaps in our student’s social emotional learning development as well as the racial, gender, economic and educational disparities that they are indirectly contending with while they are maturing into adulthood within their families and communities. All of which have placed the heart and homes of our country’s children under serious threat.

Mentoring interventions, according to available research, points to a range of potential benefits. However due to our nation’s existing climate and the decline of school connectedness, mentoring programs that intentionally include identity development and cultural awareness activities have the capacity to not only examine the racial, cultural and contextual factors that influence our children but are also able to provide resources and solutions to the issues facing our schools and communities.

THE PROBLEM

The largest number of identified youth - as stated in MENTOR’s Examining Youth Services Across America report -75%+ children and youth served are youth of color and 30% are African Americans.

Among children living in poverty with poor parental care and insecure attachment before age 4 strongly predicated a failure to complete school.

The researchers argue that many parents – including middle-class parents – need more support to provide proper parenting.

The data is clear. Episodes of violence and trauma in young people’s communities, especially those that arise from a place of systematic inequality, impact the trajectory of our rising adults.

THE SOLUTION

Blended mentoring models supported by multi-faceted stakeholders that prioritize essence over function and collaboration amongst feeder schools produce outcomes of long-term student transformation, academic achievement, community development and positive climate and culture.

THE SUCCESS

Young adults who were at-risk for falling off track but had a mentor are:

  • 55% more likely to enroll in college
  • 130% more likely to hold leadership positions

Evidence

EVIDENCE

As a mentor coordinator and peer leadership facilitator for the largest school-based mentorship and peer facilitation programs in a local public school system for over 5 years, annual data reports support this proposal.

  • In addition to the above, the following are a list of references and resources to support the proposal:
  • Rockdale County Public Schools Mentor Handbook
  • Memorial Middle School Community Based Program Policies
  • Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health

https://www.childhealthdata.org/

  • MENTORING.ORG

https://www.childhealthdata.org/

  • CDC.GOV

https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/40-million-children-miss-out-early-education-critical-pre-school-year-due-covid-19

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6914e4.htm

  • USA Facts

https://usafacts.org/m/change-the-story/topic/covid-19?gclid=Cj0KCQjw5eX7BRDQARIsAMhYLP_zqGeloGstMXFHi

Learning Objectives

Participants will learn:

  1. How to build a school-based mentoring program
  2. How to build a community-based mentoring program
  3. How to build an digital mentoring program
  4. How to integrate identity development curricula and/or cultural awareness activities that involves the cultural and/or faith-based values of the family and the community.

Biographical Sketch

Educator. Trainer. Speaker. Mentor Leader. Antoinette L. Dunstan partners with schools to help them grow and transform their mentoring programs and soft skills training curricula.

Spending over a decade as a leader in education, Ms. Dunstan’s mission is to train and equip students around the world to be positive global change agents. She has gained years of behavior modification coaching and program management experience as an overseer of the largest mentorship and leadership programs at the middle school level within her school district.

Prior to becoming an educator, Ms. Dunstan was a manager for an Atlanta Company where she supervised programs and events servicing 500,000+ business leaders. Currently, as the Founding Executive Director of The First Ladies Youth Leadership Foundation, Inc., Ms. Dunstan’s 10 years of management experience in community and economic development, social enterprise and entrepreneurship, has awarded her the opportunity to speak and influence school influencers throughout the nation – platforms include - the Innovative Schools Summit in Las Vegas, the National Youth at Risk Conference in Savannah, guest on Atlanta Live WACTV and becoming an award recipient of the Rockdale County Public Schools' Laura Barnes Honorary School Social Worker Award.

Ms. Dunstan was trained in Dr. King’s nonviolence strategies at the Martin Luther King Jr. Center in Atlanta. In her spare times she enjoys singing classical music and weightlifting. To connect with her, follow her on twitter at @IAMLadyDunstan or email at iMentor@firstladiesyouthleadershipfdn.org.

Monica Seeley has 27 years of experience in education with a background in Special Education and working with at-risk students in the alternative setting, and emotional and behavioral management and development. She also specializes in developing and strategizing effective ways for at risk students to be successful in school. For the last 13 years, her experience in education includes, Graduation Specialist, College and Career Coordinator and the Peer Facilitation Coordinator at Heritage High School in Rockdale County. She serves as a Board Member for The First Ladies Youth Leadership Foundation, Inc. and as a Program Manager for Peace Peddlers, Inc.

She has her certification in Special Education and School Counseling. Monica Seeley has presented at the National Youth-At-Risk Conference , Savannah GA Topic: “Why Peer Intervention is Viable”, ASCA Annual Conference 2018, Los Angeles CA Topic: "Peer Intervention: A tier One Strategy”, Riverside County School Counsel for Leadership Network -2018, 2018 ASCA Webinar Series Topic: “Peer Intervention”, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Workshop Topic: "How Peer Leadership Can Be a Hidden Super Power within Counseling" , Rockdale County Parent Academy Topic: ”ParentSOS" and Rockdale County Professional Learning Development topic, “What is your 20/20?. Monica Seeley professional and educational training includes the National Dropout Prevention Specialist Certification Program, National Dropout Prevention Center Clemson, SC,

EDS, School Counseling, Argosy University, Sarasota, Florida, Ms. Ed, Behavioral and Emotional Handicaps, City College University, New York, NY, BA, Liberal Arts/Concentration in Social Science and Education, New Rochelle, NY


Keyword Descriptors

mentor, mentorship, mentoring, family, COVID-19, e-mentoring, youth leadership, tolerance, disparities

Presentation Year

2021

Start Date

3-9-2021 1:40 PM

End Date

3-9-2021 2:40 PM

Download

Share

COinS
 
Mar 9th, 1:40 PM Mar 9th, 2:40 PM

How To Build An Effective Mentoring Program

Session 6 Breakouts

While few students have been sick with COVID-19, education disruptions and national social unrest have impacted the social emotional stability of 56.4 million children. One resource bridging the student, the family and the community is a multi-tiered mentorship program. School/community/faith-based mentorship programs effectively addressing disparities by integrating cultural awareness curricula build our rising leaders. Attend this workshop designed to show how this is done effectively.