July 2024 Newsletter Blog Posts
Passing the Torch: Cultivating Future Leaders Through Mentorship
Mentorship can play a pivotal role in your students’ academic and non-academic development. Recruiting adult mentors to guide and support students is one option, but there’s another: creating opportunities for peer mentoring in your out-of-school time (OST) program. After all, who better for students to learn from than a peer — someone close to their age who knows the ropes because they’ve been there not long ago. Both parties benefit: Peer mentors gain experience and confidence in providing support, and mentees get social interaction and fresh perspectives to help them gain a skill, learn something new, or complete a task. Try these ideas to cultivate peer mentoring opportunities in your OST setting:
Collaborative Learning Activities
Assign well-defined roles like “team leader” and “subject expert” during group projects and homework/study sessions so students of different ages, experiences, and abilities can learn and practice mentorship skills.
Cross-Age Tutoring
Structure tutoring sessions where older or more experienced students tutor younger ones in specific subjects. This practice reinforces learning for both parties. It also builds empathy, communication skills, and connections among students of different age groups.
Leadership Opportunities
Provide platforms for students to take on leadership roles within the program. For example, they may organize events, lead discussions, or mentor peers on a topic they’ve mastered. Empowering students in these roles bolsters their confidence and fosters a sense of responsibility.
Community Projects
Engage students in community service or outreach projects that require teamwork and collaboration. Assign older students to guide younger ones through project planning, execution, and reflection.
Reflection and Feedback
Facilitate reflection sessions where mentors and mentees discuss their experiences, challenges, and successes. This feedback loop helps refine the mentorship process, ensuring that both parties benefit and grow from the relationship.
Celebration of Achievements
Recognize and celebrate the achievements of mentors and mentees through certificates, awards, or public acknowledgments. Celebrating achievements reinforces the value of mentorship and motivates students to actively participate and contribute.
Tips for Mentoring Peer Mentors
Model mentorship skills and attitudes for your students. Program staff and volunteers can serve as role models by demonstrating positive behaviors and attitudes, guiding and encouraging students through informal conversations, leading by example, and sharing personal experiences that inspire and motivate.
Be strategic when matching peer mentors and mentees. Consider the purpose for the peer mentoring as well as students’ personalities, interests, and communication styles.
Use technology to expand mentorship opportunities. Video calls, online forums, and collaborative tools can facilitate mentorship across different locations or whenever in-person interactions aren’t feasible.
Students and Society Will Reap the Benefits
When you empower students to inspire and uplift each other, you enrich their lives and prepare them for success in school and beyond. Also, by passing the mentorship torch to young people, you’re cultivating future leaders.
Capturing Knowledge: Effective Notetaking for Students and Staff
No matter how much we may have rolled our eyes when our teacher chided us during a lecture — “Students, you should be writing this down!” — notetaking is a fundamental skill that transcends the classroom. This simple practice can impact academic success, professional growth, and organizational efficiency. Whether you’re a student or a staff member, mastery of effective notetaking practices can enhance comprehension and productivity. Right now, while the regular school day is on pause thanks to summer break, is a perfect time to sharpen this age-old practice, along with your pencil. Here are some pointers:
Notetaking 101
- Experiment with different notetaking methods such as outlines, Cornell Notes, bullet points, and mind maps. Handwritten notes are especially good at helping you learn and remember, but maybe taking notes on a laptop or electronic tablet is more your speed. Try different methods until you find one that feels natural to you!
- Use headings, subheadings, and indentation to create a hierarchical structure in your notes. This helps organize information and makes it easier to review.
- Aim to capture essential concepts, definitions, examples, and explanations rather than trying to write everything down verbatim.
- Periodically summarize the main points in your own words. This reinforces understanding and retention.
- Incorporate diagrams, charts, and graphs to help you visualize complex concepts or relationships.
Notetaking 102
- Develop shorthand or abbreviations that you can understand and use consistently to speed up notetaking.
- Review your notes regularly to reinforce learning and fill in any gaps. Revise and consolidate information by condensing notes or creating summary sheets. Pro tip: Focus on reviewing the content you haven’t yet mastered.
- Compare your notes with others’ to gain different perspectives and fill in the gaps.
- Actively participate in meetings, workshops, and training sessions to capture relevant information accurately. In practice, this might mean keeping your phone out of sight or sitting away from peers who may be a distraction.
- Prioritize recording actionable items, deadlines, and responsibilities to ensure clarity and accountability.
- Work smarter, not harder! Use templates or structured formats to capture action items, decisions, and follow-up tasks.
Effective notetaking is a skill that requires practice, adaptability, and continuous improvement. Whether you’re trying to instill this important practice into students or you’re a staff member seeking professional growth, implementing these strategies can significantly enhance your ability to capture, retain, and apply valuable information. By adopting personalized techniques, staying organized, and actively engaging with the material, you and your students can transform notetaking from a passive task into a powerful tool for learning and productivity.
Get to Know Dr. Janell Wood, 21st CCLC NTAC Project Officer
What first brought you into the field of education (and out-of-school time, in particular)?
My first “real” job after college was working with a Community Action Agency under a grant that supported families living in public housing. Our office was in the neighborhood and there were a lot of kids who would play out front and sometimes stop by. I started helping a few of them with their homework after school. It was all very informal, but I think the experience led me towards a career in education. So much for my plans to be a lawyer!
Can you recall a moment that made you feel like you were on the right path?
In reference to the same job I mentioned previously, I noticed that the children didn’t have access to books or other reading material outside of school. The local library had a Book Mobile, essentially a small library on wheels, that would make stops in neighborhoods around the city so that kids could check out books. I discovered that the Book Mobile was not coming to the public housing community. I called the library and asked why the neighborhood wasn’t included as one of their stops. I was told that there was some concern that the children would damage the books and that the library didn’t have the money to purchase replacements. I was livid! To assume that low-income children wouldn’t take care of things was uninformed and harmful. The children were being denied access to a public service and to the joy of reading because of where they lived! I had to do something. I made a few more phone calls and was able to get the Book Mobile to make a weekly stop in the neighborhood. I’ve gone back to that scenario many times. That is why I am so passionate about making sure all children and young people have access to opportunities. For the record, no books from the Book Mobile were harmed in the process of being in the hands of some very eager little readers!
What role did mentors play in your journey, and what did you learn from them?
I have been very blessed to have had a few key mentors who provided a safe space for me to talk about my dreams and aspirations. A good mentor offers guidance, tells you the truth even if you don’t like it, and holds you accountable for your decisions. Accountability is critical, particularly when you work in service of children and their families. The 21st CCLC team at the Department and the 21st CCLC NTAC team strive for excellence because our children deserve nothing less than the best.
What do you see as the greatest challenges and opportunities for OST leaders today?
One of the greatest challenges for OST leaders is having the capacity to meet the demands of the work. I am deeply concerned about the well-being of all OST leaders at the State and local levels. Doing more with fewer resources and supports takes a toll on one mentally, emotionally, and physically. I believe the tools, resources, and support that the 21st CCLC NTAC provides can help lighten the load.
What message would you like to make sure every 21st CCLC professional hears?
We see you. We hear you. We appreciate you. And we are here to support you as you serve children and families across the nation.
