RSVP youth mentoring program goes virtual
Entering its 25th year, RSVP’s youth mentoring program has gone virtual. The evidencebased program matches screened, trained adult volunteers with students in grades 3-6 for one-on-one mentoring. The goals of the program include establishing trustfilled connections, increasing social-emotional skills and helping students plan for their futures.
“Children in the program may be experiencing challenges at home, including living with a single parent or grandparent who is not always accessible,” said RSVP Executive Director Michele Moll. “They need a reliable adult mentor in their lives who can help guide them and listen to them.”
Until this school year, RSVP volunteer mentors would meet with their students, at the student’s school. After several months getting acquainted, they might meet at a library or even attend a sporting or cultural event with tickets provided by RSVP through a partnership with Art-Reach. But not this year, when the coronavirus has made it too risky for the students and volunteers to meet in person.
Instead, st ar ting in D e c e m b e r, mentors will me e t w it h students online, using the Zoom plat - form.
“Mentoring doesn’t lend it self easily to the virtual model,” said Janet Lloyd Murphy, RSVP’s youth mentoring coordinator. “But we have a good plan, and we’re now about to pilot it.”
Plans call for the mentors to share a variety of evidence-based resources as recommended by the National Mentoring Partnership and the local chapter, Mentor IR (Independence Region). Mentors and their students will also have access to the educational reading platform Epic!, where mentors can share age-appropriate books, audiobooks, videos and other tools during hour-long Zoom sessions that will be scheduled after school.
A frst step
“Epic! is a good ice breaker, something for us to do together,” s a id Ja m i T homas , whom RSVP matched with her now fifthgrade mentee last school year. “We met at school four times before the pandemic shut us down. We played games, we were coloring, there were many interactive things to do.
homas, a retired information technology manager, is set to become RSVP’s first virtual mentor. She will soon be joined by three other volunteers being trained to mentor online.
Thomas is looking forward to resuming mentoring online.
“It’s amazing what materials are out there to use,” she said. “In person, we got over that little hump of making sure (her student) felt comfortable. I think we can do that online, too. Sometimes it’s as simple as talking about what’s your favorite color. It’s hard to gauge how virtual learning is impacting the child. After a couple of months, I’ll have an answer.”
RSVP’s virtual mentoring plan includes exploring a different topic each month, such as goalsetting, bullying or dealing with anger and anxiety. Sessions begin with reading a short e-book or watching a video that will be suggested by Murphy that might relate to the topic, helping to spark conversation.
Expansion planned
Once its pilot mentors and mentees are up and running smoothly, RSVP plans a larger rollout. The organization is seeking volunteer mentors as well as taking referrals of students from community agencies, schools and parents.
“We need adult volunteers with diverse backgrounds, especially male mentors based on students currently on the waiting list,” Moll said. “This would be a perfect program for corporate employees who can easily participate via Zoom sessions.”
Last year, the program included 17 sets of mentors and students, some of whom have been together for several years.
Parents and guidance counselors can refer a student for the virtual mentoring program at rsvpmc.org/mentoring. Potential volunteers can discuss the program as well as other volunteer opportunities by visiting the website or by contacting Kathy Stocker, RSVP’s volunteer coordinator, at 610-834-1040, ext. 123.
“Potential mentors need to feel comfortable communicating online,” Murphy said. “They can use a computer, tablet or even most smartphones. We’re in new territory mentoring online, so they might need to be flexible as we adjust our approach.”
After committing to remain with the program for nine months and clearing state background checks including FBI fingerprinting, mentors will receive online training.
“We learned what a mentor is and isn’t — a friend but not a teacher or parent,” Thomas said. “We’re a friend and listener, not someone who judges.
“When I mentored before it was fun. When was the last time I colored? And I’m looking forward to resuming.” ”
RSVP improves theT lives of vulnerable populations in the Greater Philadelphia area and beyond with programs focusing on education and wellness, which utilize a dedicated pool of 1,200+ volunteers. To learn more visit www.rsvpmc.org.