Why Mentor?

“Mentoring changes lives. Statistics show that a young person who works with a mentor is:

• 46% less likely to begin using illegal drugs.
• 27% less likely to begin drinking alcohol.
• 52% less likely to skip school.
• 33% less likely to engage in a fight.

Mentored students have marked learning gains, and are enrolling in college at higher rates than students who have not been mentored.”

                        Florida Mentoring Partnership
                        www.flamentoring.org

BECOME A MENTOR, AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN A CHILD’S LIFE!

Giving the gift of your time to mentor a child in reading will have an enormous impact on his or her life. When children discover early in life the pleasures of reading, a whole world of learning opens for them. Volunteering for the YMCA READS! Program will do more than teach reading skills to a young child: it will boost his self-esteem, his imagination, and his ability to succeed in the classroom and in the world.

No experience is necessary, as you will receive initial training and on-going support from a full-time coordinator. While many YMCA READS! are retired or working adults, high school and college students are also welcome. They can earn community service hours while learning teaching strategies in an educational setting.

Click on the name of the site coordinator of the YMCA closet to you, or contact:
Madeleine Hennings, YMCA READS! Statewide Coordinator.