We all know that an older brother or sister will help a new baby brother or sister learn to hold a bottle, crawl, laugh, babble and play. This is the earliest form of mentorship for children. Young children learn by watching … watching their older sister brush her hair or big brother use the potty.
When my son was around 2 years old and embarrassed to go to the big boy bathroom, my daughter, who is three years older, said, “Mommy, why don’t we just put his potty chair out on the back patio? Then he won’t feel so watched.” Now, be assured we had a tall privacy fence, and he was not in the face of any neighbors. But guess what? It worked! My daughter did a cartwheel when he sat down on the little potty chair, and from then on, he knew where he was supposed to do his business. Big sis to the rescue!
Some mentoring happens naturally, other opportunities take more intention—but the results are enriching for all the kids involved. For instance, one local school, St. Michael’s the Archangel Catholic High School, has the ultimate program to allow their students to mentor one another. They do not have paraprofessionals in their school, so when they opened in 2017 as a legacy school, they began their own SMILE program, which originally began at Archbishop O’Hara High School in the mid-2000s. SMILE stands for St. Michael Inclusive Learning Enhancement. The goal is to make sure all students of all levels are reached and feel at home.
SMA mentors are junior- and senior-level students chosen by faculty members based on their outstanding leadership qualities, strong academic tracks and dedication to the program. These mentors pair up with each special needs student to attend class with them and work hand-in-hand with their coursework.
Mary Kroening, principal at St. Michael’s, praises the peer mentoring program. “We have this peer mentoring program here due to the absence of paraprofessionals for special needs students. Not many Catholic schools have programs that allow special needs kids to attend their high school,” she notes. “We carried that tradition to St. Michael’s, and it’s one of our best programs we have in the city. We have had other schools across the country come to emulate what we do. It is great to see the interaction and friendships developed between students that belong here.”
She explains that students are quite proud to work with this program, and there are about 50 involved each year. They get elective credits for their part. “Our special ed teachers go through and select this distinguished group of students. The program is about building relationships,” Kroening says. “Student-to-student interaction can help steer a student in a different direction if they happen to be feeling antsy or having trouble taking notes. They will do things like read a test aloud to them, help them with their math skills, quiz them and help with projects. They are there to help the teacher, so they can stay on task.”
A foundation in the KC area called FIRE helps support SMILE with grants so St. Michael’s can have the program and continue to include everybody at their school. It was founded in 1996 by a group of parents who wanted their children with special needs to attend their parish schools with their siblings and friends.
St. Michael’s also has a coffee shop at school, which helps students learn life skills. They offer hot and cold drinks, lattes and smoothies and ice teas. “They run that in the morning and at lunch. The inclusive learning educator will help students master the skills to run a coffee shop,” Kroening says. “Developing that friendship does more than anything to include students. Our tagline is ‘where you belong.’ We believe every student is made in the indigenous image of God. Our students love it, and they develop friendships outside of school, attending football and basketball games with the students they mentor, and that is what it is about. We guide our students to have lifelong friendships.”
Boy Scouts of America also implements a mentoring program between members, giving young people the opportunity to take on leadership roles with their peers on activities and events. This strengthens the bond between friends and builds confidence and character.
These examples of the many benefits of peer mentoring are inspiring. On your own block, you can help kids create a peer group. Gather kids from your neighborhood and plan events, such as a bike ride or swimming party. Elect a leader and helpers and watch as they mentor each other. Whether coloring together, mastering ABCs, learning to play the piano or studying calculus, toddlers to teenagers can benefit from mentoring relationships and develop mentoring opportunities.
Sources: SMACatholic.org, Scouting.org, FireFoundation.org.
An avid outdoors girl, Judy Goppert lives in Lee’s Summit. She enjoys drawing on her personal experiences to write about the nuances of everything wonderful about life.