TeamMates Mentors Safely Stay Connected with Students Throughout Pandemic
Parochial and public schools across Lincoln have empowered more than 1,300 students to stay connected with their Lincoln TeamMates (LincolnTeammates.org) mentors. Masked and distanced, more than 650 students and their volunteer mentors have held 6,750 in-person meetings since school started.
“Without the welcome of volunteer mentors in schools, so many young people in Lincoln would have lost ground in these important relationships,” says Jim Bennett, coordinator. “Support of schools has been critical in navigating the pandemic.”
Superintendent of Lincoln Public Schools, Dr. Steve Joel, described his decision to approve TeamMates mentors in schools this way, “When we look at our graduation rate, when we look at our student success rate, when we look at our student hope rate, we attribute a lot of that to our community partnerships, none as important as TeamMates.”
Parents have played a key role in facilitating mentorships for students attending school via Zoom, making sure they have everything in place for virtual mentor meetings. To date, TeamMates staff have hosted 2,800 Zoom meetings connecting more than 450 remote matches.
TeamMates Mentoring of Lincoln makes a meaningful impact in the local community and beyond by inspiring youth to reach their full potential through mentoring. Matches meet once a week in school or twice a month for remote learners and/or mentors who request to meet virtually instead of in person. For more information about TeamMates or to inquire about becoming a mentor, please visit LincolnTeammates.org.