Business-education program looks for e-mentors
A local business-education program is looking for mentors for Fayette County students. “Do you have a desire to mentor young people and give back to your local community but aren’t sure how? Want to volunteer time, but travelling to different locales doesn’t fit into your schedule? Interested in a meaningful, well-structured endeavor, but just can’t spare the time?,” asked Dr. Ronald Sheba, education and workforce manager of Fay-Penn Economic Development Council’s REACH (Reaching Educational Achievement with Community Help) program.
“The PA eMentoring Program is an easy solution to all of these obstacles, while providing an invaluable connection to real-world career insight for local high school students,” he said.
Local professionals are invited to be a part of this business-education partnership. Representatives of a myriad of companies, organizations and institutions are joining a clearly-defined mentoring program – donating their time and insight at their convenience via e-mail technology, Sheba said.
The PA eMentoring Program is designed to connect professionals with high school students for relevant career development conversations – via a secure Web site. The program, designed by Smart Futures, a non-profit education consulting firm, will connect students in Fayette County school districts with business leaders through e-mail.
“Participating in this program allows members of the current work force to get involved in education, and make a significant difference lending a helping hand to members of the future work force,” Sheba added. In order to accommodate the growing number of students interested locally, and the increasing number of business people who wish to volunteer, REACH will host PA e-Mentoring Orientation Sessions for new mentors in 2009-2010 school year.
REACH will host sessions at the Fayette County Area Vocational Technical School, 175 Georges-Fairchance Road, Uniontown. The orientation session lasts approximately an hour and half and participants will have the option of a morning or afternoon session.
The sessions will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. to noon and 2 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. To sign up to attend a session, e-mail Sheba at ronalds@faypenn.org
, or call (724) 437-7913.
A second day of sessions will be planned if needed.
The PA eMentoring
program enables educators in Pennsylvania to access online career mentors for their students. Here is how it works:
n Mentors and mentees engage in a 10-week curriculum and online conversation process geared towards helping the student develop a strong career focus.
n The mentors, volunteers working for Pennsylvania-based companies, can participate from their desk or from home; mentees participate in their classrooms and at home.
n Mentors and mentees work together to complete 10 online activities. The result is a comprehensive post-secondary college and career plan for each mentee.
n Mentors must commit to sending one e-mail per week minimum; mentors also must complete Pennsylvania Child Abuse and Criminal Record clearances before they are matched with a student.
Fay-Penn’s REACH program, which links business and community leaders with the six school districts in Fayette County, is a partner of Smart Futures.
For those interested in participating as a mentor, call Sheba at 724-437-7913 or e-mail ronalds@faypenn.org
for more information. Or go online to Smart Futures by logging on to www.pa-ementor.org
and clicking the sign up link.