Lead
Mentor applications are available. Deadline to apply
is September 15.
Click here for an application.
Permission slips must be updated for the 2010-2011
school year. Get a head start by
downloading one and fill it out now.
Please
scroll down to see our current programs.
What a Mentor Learns
An original poem by
Nayna Shah, Lead Mentor
You
hear about mentoring programs where children with
special needs learn to cook,
Or score a goal, become a DJ, paint an ornament read a
book.
But if inclusion is truly a two-way street and “mentor
teaches child” is not the end,
What does the mentor leave with after the two hours
they spend?
The
list of what the “buddies” learn always supersedes,
And we so easily forget what a mentor learns from a
child with special needs.
I have learned teamwork, and that there are many
people on whom we can depend,
And, in the words of the Beatles, it’s okay to “get by
with a little help from my friends.”
And
that it’s not the child I mentor who asks me any
questions at all,
But me asking how to work a laptop or explain all the
rules of basketball!
I’ve learned that it’s fun to be silly and not care
who has heard or seen,
And that if I acted crazy at age three and five, why
not do it at fourteen?
I
learned that the job of a mentor is to adjust –– maybe
sports are too complicated,
So starting off as the referee is the best way to get
slowly acclimated.
There are a thousand ways to look at situation –– like
Braille to someone who can’t see:
Even though I see every dot clear on the page, it
still makes no sense to me!
To me
this has become more than just painting or playing
with water guns,
I have tied a whole bracelet full of friendship knots,
which will never come undone.
The most important lesson I’ve learned is that whether
you can or can’t speak at all,
Laughter is the universal language that has the power
to unite us all.
So
remember that even though after hearing “disability,”
people assume the worst,
It’s obvious that you can’t spell “disability” without
using “ability” first.
Rules of Mentoring:
Permission
slip for 2010-2011:
It is time for
all mentors to update your
mentor permission slip
for the 2010-2011 school year.
Complete
the top section. Have
your parent or legal guardian sign it and mail to:
Pathways Mentor Program,
11 Glenwood Dr.,
Montville, NJ 07045
If you have not actively participated
in any of our programs as a mentor for two years, you
may need to take the training again. Contact us if
you have questions or are no longer receiving our
mailings.
Signing up for a program:
The
Mentor News
lists all current activities.
To sign up, call 973-856-9587
and leave a message or email
mentor4pathways@yahoo.com.
Please sign up before you come or you will
not be guaranteed a spot or get notified about
schedule or location changes.
Attendance:
Check in with
the coordinator at every class to receive community service for
your
time.
If you
can't make it to a program, let us know so we can plan
for your absence.
Home-Based Buddies
– Submit your time sheets for the 2009-2010 school year. Click
here to download a time sheet.
Hotline: 973-856-9587
Yucky
weather? School closed? Early dismissal? Not sure
if a program will run?
Call
our hotline for information
about changes in programs scheduled
for that day.
Home-Based Buddies Program
Click here for a time sheet
There
are many special children in our community who
would love to spend time with you! In this
"one-on-one" program, you meet with a child with
special needs on an ongoing basis for play dates,
to be a companion for activities, or a homework
buddy. The parent/guardian of that child will be
present to supervise and provide you with training
on what to do for their child. To get involved in
this program,
email
mentor4pathways@yahoo.com or call
973-856-9587
and leave a detailed message.
Program times and
locations are subject to change. Please check this
page for updates.
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Job Coach Position for Mentors age 16 and above |
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There are
job
coach positions available at this time. Mentors
who are interested can fill out an application
send it in. We will contact you to set up an
interview.
Being a
"Job Coach" for Project Win-Win involves
working with a small group of young adults with
special needs ages 12 and up under the guidance of
teachers and professionals after school on
Tuesdays and Thursdays, and occasional field
trips. Taking the Mentor Training Workshop is a
requirement for all Job Coaches.
Click here for a flyer with more information.
Click here for a job application.
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For questions, please contact Melinda Jennis at
mvtpec@aol.com.
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