Frequently Asked Questions about Becoming a DeKalb County HOPE Volunteer
Thank you for showing interest in becoming a HOPE (Helping Our Pupils Excel) Community Volunteer. We believe that there is great need for one-on-one mentoring/tutoring of students in the DeKalb County schools, public and private. National statistics indicate that at least one-third of the students need the help and that many more students could benefit from a one-on-one relationship with a supportive adult if more mentors were available.
This is a unique opportunity to improve our community one child at a time. From our limited experience of four years and published research, a consistent mentoring program of one hour a week over time can result in greatly improved performance (i.e., improved academic and social skills, better school attendance, greater self-confidence, and reduced discipline issues). In a review of NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) scores of five students who spent time with HOPE mentors, four students exceeded their expected growth from fall to spring, 2007-2008.
The following are some commonly asked questions and answers you may find helpful.
How do I know if I’m qualified to volunteer as a HOPE mentor?
If you are a dependable adult who loves children and cares about their educations in DeKalb County, then you are a good candidate. You will also need transportation and at least one hour per week available during the day, roughly 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
How do I get involved?
The first step is for you to request an application and preference survey. If you are interested in volunteering as a HOPE Volunteer at J.E. Ober, Garrett’s elementary school, please call Holly Wright, 260-357-3112, ext. 2115, or e-mail, hwright@gkb.k12.in.us. If you are interested in volunteering at a DeKalb Central school (Country Meadow, Waterloo, JR Watson, McKenney-Harrison), please call Mark Benbow, Principal, Waterloo Elementary, at 260-920-1016 or e-mail, mbenbow@dekalb.k12.in.us. You may also call or e-mail the DeKalb County HOPE Director, Judy Sorg, at the DeKalb County Community Foundation for more information, 260-925-0311 or e-mail, Jsorg@dekalbfoundation.org.
Before being matched, all volunteers are required to attend a 90-minute training which will provide you with a training handbook, school resources available to you, tips for getting acquainted with your new student, and ideas for making the time you spend with your student at school a fun, positive experience. Once your application has been processed, you will be contacted with the date and time of the next volunteer training.
How are HOPE volunteers selected?
Because children’s safety is our first concern, each applicant is carefully screened for the volunteer’s suitability to work with students. In every case, the process includes a criminal background check. All applicants are expected to provide background information and no one is singled out from other applicants for closer inspection.
How is a child in the school identified to be part of the HOPE project?
Children are identified for a HOPE mentor by a guidance counselor, school administrator, teacher, or parent, based on the perceived ability of the child to benefit by having a long-term relationship with a supportive, caring adult. Many identified children have needs that aren’t being met in the traditional classroom. Needs may be academic and/or social. In other instances, a child identified for the HOPE program may have a special talent that could be further developed through a match with a willing adult who has a common interest. While you will be matched with a child determined as a good fit, the success of the relationship depends greatly on the efforts of the student and the adult mentor.
You must be a dependable adult with at least little spare time. You must also care about children’s educations in DeKalb County and have an interest in making a powerful impact by building a trusting relationship with a child. You will need transportation to and from the school building during the school day, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., or in school buildings that offer after school programming, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. You are asked to meet with your assigned student for 45 minutes to one hour a week, putting the student’s needs above your own for that time period.
How are HOPE volunteers selected?
Because children’s safety is our first concern, each applicant is carefully screened for the volunteer’s suitability to work with students. In every case, the process includes a criminal background check. No one is singled out from other applicants for closer inspection.
When your application has been approved, which takes about a week, you will receive a phone call or letter inviting you to attend the upcoming HOPE training/orientation. Do not worry if you don’t hear anything right away. This may mean that there isn’t a training date currently scheduled and staff are working to coordinate those efforts. If once you are notified of the next training date, and that training date or time is not workable for you, other arrangements may be made.
Note: If it has been three weeks since you submitted your application and there has been no contact from the district coordinator, by all means contact Mark Benbow (DeKalb Central), 260-920-1016, or Holly Wright (Garrett-Keyser-Butler), 260-357-3112.
Why do I need training?
According to the research, youth mentoring programs that offer training are more effective than programs that do not offer this training. Thus, a training and orientation component has been developed, tailored to school-based mentoring in the local school districts. Every HOPE volunteer is required to attend this 90-minute training. Each participant receives a training handbook that includes written materials on the topics of reporting suspected child abuse and neglect, the culture of students living in poverty (Ruby Payne), helping young children learn the alphabet, helping students with reading comprehension, maintaining social boundaries, student writing, procedures for entering the school, meeting with your student, and communicating with the teacher, available resources for support, etc. Volunteers tend to report high levels of satisfaction with the training, saying it helps them know what to expect and feel more comfortable meeting with their assigned student.
How is a child in the school identified to be part of the HOPE program?
Children are identified for a HOPE mentor by a guidance counselor, school administrator, teacher, or parent. In every case, it is believed that the child identified for a HOPE mentor/tutor could benefit by having a long-term relationship with a supportive, caring adult. Most identified children have needs that aren’t being met in the traditional classroom. While you will be matched with a child determined as a good fit, not all relationships are successful. The success of the relationship depends greatly on the efforts of the student and the mentor/tutor. It has been our experience that the vast majority of volunteers find the mentoring experience a rewarding one. Our goal is a win-win, for the student and the HOPE volunteer.
