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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 b
y 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 BuddiesSubmit 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.

 

Job Coach Position for Mentors age 16 and above

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.

For questions, please contact Melinda Jennis at mvtpec@aol.com.  

 

 

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