Mentors matter
Help students reach full potential
There’s simply no comparison to the feeling of having someone in your corner. Research consistently shows that positive relationships give us stability, confidence and a greater sense of happiness and purpose. These connections—built through time, trust and care—are why mentorship works. And it’s why, as we emerge from covid-19, we should ensure that students who are struggling can access these types of programs in their schools.
At the height of the pandemic, many of us felt isolated and disengaged. The lockdown made our rates of anxiety and depression surge, particularly among children and youth whose lives were regularly upended by sickness and school closures. In 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than a third of high school students reported experiencing poor mental health. Nearly 50 percent said they felt sad or hopeless over the last 12 months. One of the primary culprits they blamed for their distress was a sense of disconnection from their peers, as well as their school communities.
Fortunately, we’re now well past the public health emergency. And it’s time to course-correct to get our students back on track—academically, emotionally and socially.
A crucial first step: helping them build positive developmental relationships with near-peers or adults. The Search Institute, a nonprofit focused on youth success, says these bonds will allow our kids to feel secure, supported, challenged and inspired. Other sources like the CDC agree, reiterating that these relationships “can be a lifeline for [our] young people,” especially those facing mental health challenges in the wake of covid-19.
As City Year Little Rock has witnessed firsthand over the past two decades, but even more so postpandemic, positive relationships between mentors and mentees can mean the difference in whether our students can achieve their full potential—in and out of the classroom.
Since 2004, our AmeriCorps members, also known as student success coaches, have offered in-person, integrated academic and social-emotional skill development to central Arkansas kids. They have provided one-on-one tutoring, delivered smallgroup instruction, or served as kind listening ears for youth who need to talk. And at the end of every academic year, we see results. Studies consistently demonstrate that the more time students spend with our AmeriCorps members, the better their long-term outcomes. The data goes on to show that children who are furthest behind benefit the most from our support.
Every January, our country comes together to celebrate National Mentoring Month. This commemoration is an important reminder of the instrumental role positive developmental relationships can play in the lives of our students. But at City Year Little Rock, we believe promoting and investing in these programs shouldn’t end on Jan. 31. We hope all Arkansans will encourage their local schools to consider adopting mentorship programs.
And for those called to serve as mentors, City Year Little Rock is accepting applications and nominations for AmeriCorps members for the 2023-2024 school year at cityyear.org.