Give 30 Mentoring Program Builds Influencer Base to Help At-Risk Youth

Sep 11, 2019 2:48 PM Sep 12, 2019 2:26 PM

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Regional Office of Education (ROE) hosted two information and training sessions on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 5-6 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Lovejoy Library in hopes of gaining additional mentors to enhance the impact of its Give 30 Mentoring Program.

Now in its fourth year, the program’s concept of engaging community members to mentor at-risk youth in local middle and high schools for 30 minutes a week has flourished, as have the youth served.

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“The Give 30 program began in the 2015-16 school year under the founding of former Regional Superintendent Dr. Robert Daiber,” explained the ROE’s Taylor Donohoo, administrative liaison for the program and SIUE alumna. “He mentored many at-risk students, and began to see the positive influence he had in having conversations with students about school and life. He realized many students didn’t have an adult figure to converse with at home.”

The program’s goals include helping young people be successful, foster respect and identify a meaningful career; helping a child stay in school and understand responsibility; explaining right from wrong; and motivating youth to do the right thing.

“Our mentors develop a true passion for serving students and schools through this program,” Donohoo noted. “Since the start of Give 30, we have expanded the program by recruiting mentors from SIUE, Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery, TheBANK of Edwardsville, rotaries and chambers of commerce.”

In January 2019, nearly 12 SIUE students registered to provide mentorship. The September information sessions recruited an additional 30 volunteers.

“I believe in the power of a good mentor, and I believe that sometimes all someone needs is to feel heard or be guided by an individual they trust and look up to,” said Give 30 mentor Ashley Monier, a senior psychology major. “It’s important for us, as mentors, to realize that our interactions can make a huge difference in someone’s life. This holds true not only in the Give 30 program, but also in other aspects of life. When we realize that and behave accordingly, the ripple effect we have can change the world for the better.”

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“This program is a simple way for individuals to volunteer and make a meaningful impact,” added mentor Lindsey Rakers, a junior elementary education major. “It’s incredibly important for adolescents to see that they have someone who cares and who they can talk to, especially at the middle and high school level, when they may not feel comfortable talking to their parents. During our visits, my mentee and I discuss their home and school life. I’ve also challenged my mentee to set personal goals.”

Nobby Emmanuel, former SIUE vice chancellor for student affairs, has been an involved advocate for the program since its inception. This will mark his fourth year mentoring a Collinsville High School student.

“I was, indeed, fortunate to have mentored a neat young student from his freshman year to his senior year,” Emmanuel said. “This fall will begin his senior year, during which he will make important decisions about his future. It is with much pride and joy to celebrate his journey to graduation. He certainly has come a long way. He improved his grades, developed a plan to score college admissions standards on the SAT, changed his social behavior, strengthened his relationship with his family, and has committed himself to volunteer service. I am confident he will stay the course during his senior year and graduate, despite many distractions, challenges and outside pressures.”

Emmanuel likens the Give 30 mentorship experience to president Kennedy’s challenge to the nation: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

“We all reach our personal potential because of powerful support systems, mentors and the goodness of others,” he explained. “Therefore, it is our responsibility to give back, build better communities and contribute to the spirit of giving.”

For more information on the Regional Office of Education’s Give 30 Mentoring Program, visit give30.net.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville provides students with a high quality, affordable education that prepares them for successful careers and lives of purpose to shape a changing world. Built on the foundation of a broad-based liberal education, and enhanced by hands-on research and real-world experiences, the academic preparation SIUE students receive equips them to thrive in the global marketplace and make our communities better places to live. Situated on 2,660 acres of beautiful woodland atop the bluffs overlooking the natural beauty of the Mississippi River’s rich bottomland and only a short drive from downtown St. Louis, the SIUE campus is home to a diverse student body of more than 13,000.

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