Northview — In recognition of January as National Mentoring Month, Northview Public Schools is hosting a free, public “lunch and learn” event to learn more about mentoring and its impact on students.
The event will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 28 at Crossroads Middle School, 4400 Ambrose NE. A light lunch will be served; no registration is necessary.
Now in its 19th year, Northview’s mentor program matches adults in the community with students to meet for 15 minutes once a week during the school year. Learn more on the district’s website.
Janine Conway, mentor program coordinator, said the event is designed both to teach interested community members about mentoring and also to help the district’s current mentors learn more about their role and how to better support students.
The lunch and learn will include a presentation by a local social worker about grief and loss, as well as a Q&A session featuring counselors from Highlands and Crossroads middle schools and Northview High School.
“We hope to inform our mentors on issues they have asked about during the year,” Conway said. “The hope is for the counselors to give answers on how the school would handle (a sensitive situation), how they suggest the mentor handle it and any other tools or resources that would be available for the mentors.”
In addition, Superintendent Christina Hinds will lead a session on the mentor match interview, which Conway says is usually “a crowd favorite.”
“This is a time to highlight what the program is all about — relationships, and the beautiful relationship that grows between the student and their mentor as they meet together week after week for only 15 minutes,” Conway said.
Read more from Northview:
• Make an impact in just 15 minutes a week
• High-schoolers talk mental health with education leaders, legislators
