Mentoring: It's All About Relationships

"I couldn't have done it without you."

Has anyone ever said this to you? Have you ever said it to someone else? Many of life's successes are due, in part, to the guidance or example someone else provided to us. Almost everything we do each day is somehow linked to a relationship, without which, our mission could not be accomplished. If it's all about relationships, what better way to do something powerful than by volunteering to build and maintain a relationship with a young person?

Teaching cadets about building and maintaining relationships is the goal of ChalleNGe mentoring. Modeling positive and professional behaviors and attitudes, ChalleNGe mentors help reinforce and continue the education that the ChalleNGe staff begin with cadets during the Residential Phase of the program. As cadets graduate the Residential Phase and progress into the Post-Residential Phase, mentors help them with their PRAP (living, education, employment, and/or military goals). For more information about the eligibility and requirements of a ChalleNGe mentor, see "Finding a Mentor."

How to Become a Mentor for a ChalleNGe Cadet

• Adults who become mentors are usually approached by youth applying for the program. All youth applicants must recruit one eligible adult to be their mentor. In some, very few cases, mentor nominees are not able to continue in the screening, training, or matching process. In these cases, it is necessary for the program to find another eligible person from the youth's hometown in Texas. This is why we encourage interested adults to apply even if they don't have a specific youth in mind to mentor.
• Youth applicants are required to recruit a mentor, likewise, adults applying for the mentorship on their own are encouraged to refer a youth in need of the program. This is not a requirement for a mentor applying separately from a youth, however it greatly decreases the waiting time before being matched with a youth. Those wanting to mentor are usually very excited to start their adventure and have no problem finding an eligible youth to refer to Texas ChalleNGe Academy.

Resources for Referring Youth to the Program

If you are applying to mentor without a youth applicant, here are some ideas in finding a youth in need:

• Among your friends and associates you may discover someone who knows of a young person "spinning their wheels" in school, involved with a "bad crowd" of friends, having trouble in their home environment, at risk of dropping out of high school, or that already dropped out of high school.  Any of these situations may be a sign that a young person is willing and ready to make a change in their lives by applying to the program.
• You may ask at local churches, civic organizations (Lion's club, Kiwanis, VFW, etc.) by contacting the pastor, public relations officer, or volunteer service officer and asking if they are aware of any youth that meet our eligibility requirements that may become candidates.
• Your local high school is probably aware of Texas ChalleNGe Academy as an alternative for their struggling students. Contact the Counseling Department and ask if they know of any eligible youth, at risk of dropping out or having already dropped out, that they can refer to the program.
• After trying these approaches, contact the Information Specialist/Recruiter for Texas ChalleNGe Academy. Identify your location (county, city, zip code), your interest in mentoring a youth and difficulty in finding one, and a phone number where you can be reached. Throughout the year this person visits various locations across Texas and recruits youth. It is possible that your location has already been scheduled and you may find a youth at one of the youth recruiting presentations.

Am I eligible to become a mentor?

A Parent's Guide to our Mentoring Program (PDF)

Feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns regarding any of the mentor application forms, the mentoring program, or youth eligibility requirements. We look forward to talking to you soon!

Mentor training: 

In Sheffield beginning at 9 a.m. on Nov. 14 and Dec. 5, 2009.

In Dallas:  TBD, Dec. 11

In Houston: Ellington field, bldg 1057, 12:00-3pm on Dec. 12

In Austin: Camp Mabry, bldg 41, 10 am - 1pm on Dec. 13

For Houston and Austin locations you must RSVP to Ms. Connie Fielder at 432-836-1511 or Anthony King at 432-836-1507.  Or you may email them at connie.fielder@isisd.net or anthony.king@isisd.net.

 Recruiting, Placement and Mentoring Coordinator: 

 Anthony King,

PH:  (432) 836-1507
email:  anthony.king@isisd.net