PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Since 2011, Circle of Friends has been providing children with special, long-term relationships with caring, trained, and supervised adult mentors who serve as Friends to the children in our program. Circle of Friends believes that a long-term, sustainable relationship with a child can make a significant difference in that child's life. We have selected your child based on recommendations from your child's school because we believe that your child has potential to be very successful. We want to help open the door to their future so that they can become thriving members of our community. We know all children could benefit from the enriching experiences our program has to offer; however, the program can serve only a small number of children, and we believe that your child will benefit from all the great opportunities that we offer.
How does the program work? A mentor is assigned to each child selected for the program. A mentor is NOT a childcare provider; however, he/she is a trained, caring adult role model who will provide your child with a variety of life-enriching experiences, academic support, and activities throughout the duration that your child is in our program. Our mentors go through an extensive background check, in- depth initial training, with monthly training on our core assets during their first year of being matched.
Your child's mentor will work with your child in a one-on-one setting doing enrichment activities designed to help them develop valuable academic, social, and life skills that can assist them in making good choices, developing a strong self-concept, fostering, and maintaining a concern for others, and preparing them for their future success. These activities may include tutoring, educational outings such as going to the library and museums, developing special skills through enrollment in swim lessons or sports teams, and many other enriching opportunities such as summer camps, fishing, etc.
The mentor will make every effort to see your child once a week. There is no cost for participating in Circle of Friends, including the core services and activities that your child and mentor will do together.
We believe the children involved in the Circle of Friends program will benefit in the following ways:
- Increased academic achievement
- Improved social skills
- The development of new talents and interests
- An expanded world view
- A stronger self-concept
As your child progresses through Circle of Friends, we will continue to offer services to them to meet their developmental needs.