We were thrilled to finally see the youth participating in our program come together as a group! As program development progressed over time, it felt as though the real adventure began as soon as they walked through the doors. It seemed surreal as all the long hours and hard work led to this very moment, and yet, it is only the beginning of our story!
As we previously held Mentor Training sessions, it was equally important that we also held a training for mentees. Our first step toward empowering youth is to allow them to choose whether they want to join the program, so it was important to give them the necessary information to make that decision.
This first group meeting was exciting, to say the least. Our Co-founders April and Kecia led the training along with Match Coordinator Bonnie, Board Member Anthony and Intern Jordan. But, the youth were the ones who stole the show with their smiles and enthusiasm.
The two-hour training was conducted through casual presentations and interactive activities. The training covered what youth can expect from their mentors and our program, what is expected of them, our overall mission and safety procedures.
Bonnie, who will oversee the relational development of the Mentoring Matches, also shared about the importance of communication. We are thankful to Anthony, who shared his experiences of being in foster care and how a mentor greatly impacted his life. Jordan, who is a sociology major with a big heart for underserved youth, discussed the importance of recognizing that all mentors are different. He then led the youth toward discovering what character traits they’d like in a mentor.
The activities generated enthusiasm and informal one-on-one conversations gave opportunities to get to know each other more. As expected, some of the teens were more talkative than others. We understand that meeting new people for the first time may cause nervousness, but we’re eager to see them open up and form bonds that will make positive impacts in their lives.
We’re excited as this new chapter of Aging UP begins and pages turn in the lives of these young men and women. This is going to be one amazing story!
