Programs

The Chittenden County Mentoring Network includes community based, school based, and site based mentoring programs. All of the network programs are sponsored by their own umbrella organization in addition to being affiliated with Mobius, Inc.

School-based mentoring programs

School-based mentoring programs involve weekly one-on-one meetings between a mentor and his/her mentee, at the mentee’s school. Mentors and mentees engage in a range of academic and/or nonacademic activities, depending on the program’s objectives. Other students see having a mentor come to the school as an “enviable perk” shedding positive light onto the mentee and bolstering his/her social standing.

School-based mentoring programs attract volunteers who, by virtue of their jobs, families, age, or other circumstances, are not able to volunteer in community-based programs. Some mentors choose school-based programs because they like the hustle-bustle and social nature of a school setting. Other mentors like the support and structure school-based mentoring offers.

Many universities and companies create partnerships with schools that provide natural linkages, staff incentives, and sanctioned leaves. This is true for a number of Chittenden County Mentoring Network programs. One example of this type of partnership is our VSAC GEAR UP Mentoring Program which is based at VSAC but operates in Winooski Middle School and Colchester Middle School.

Community-based mentoring programs

Community-based mentoring programs involve weekly one-on-one meetings that take place outside of any specific site; the mentor and their mentee decide when and where they will meet and in what activities they will engage. Community based matches usually meet for one to three hours per week. Community based mentoring offers young people the chance to develop a relationship with an adult, other than their parents or teachers, who become friends, role models, and advocates for them. Activities range according to the interests of the pair. Community based matches can take several forms, including tutoring, career exploration, life skills development, entertainment, and cultural or social experiences. This type of mentoring requires a higher level of risk management, screening, support, and supervision. Some of the Chittenden County Mentoring Network’s oldest and largest programs are community based programs, such as Community Friends and Junior/Senior Buddies.

Site-based mentoring programs

Site-based mentoring programs involve weekly one-on-one meetings that take place at a specific site. Mentors and mentees meet at the program site and agency or program staff create and supervise activities. Two site based programs within the Chittenden County Mentoring Network are DREAM and ReCycle North YouthBuild.

There are many other types of mentoring programs. Some of the other models already in place are e-mentoring, business based mentoring, group mentoring and faith based mentoring. Mobius encourages anyone interested in creating a mentoring program to request technical assistance at the earliest stages of developing a program. Whatever type of mentoring program is employed, it is imperative that programs embrace the Elements of Effective Practice found on the National Mentoring Partnership website. We are here to support you in your efforts to help every child who needs or wants a mentor to have one.

Program	Community, School, or Site	Ages Served	Towns Served
Big Buddies (University of Vermont)	Community	Serves children in elementary school	Burlington
M.O.V.E. (St. Michael's College)	Community	Serves children ages 6-12	Winooski
Vermont Women's Mentoring (Mercy Connections)	Community	Adult to Adult mentoring	Chittenden County
Community Friends Mentoring (Baird Center for Children and Families, Howard Center)	Community	Serves children ages 6 to 12	Chittenden County
Connecting Youth (Connecting Youth in Chittenden South)	School	Serves children in middle school	Charlotte, Hinesburg, Shelburne, Williston
Creating Connections (Sarah Holbrook Community Center)	Community	Serves children grades K-12	Old North End, Burlington
DREAM (The DREAM Program, Inc.)	Site	Serves children grades K through 12	Milton (Champlain College), Winooski (St. Michael's College), Burlington (University of Vermont)
Everybody Wins! VT (Everybody Wins!)	School	Serves children in elementary school	Burlington (Edmunds, Flynn), Winooski (JFK), Shelburne, (Shelburne Community School), Milton (Milton Elementary)
Foster Grandparent Program (United Way of Chittenden County)	School	Serves children ages birth to 21	Chittenden County
King Street Center Mentoring	Community	Serves children ages 5 to 10	Burlington
KnowHow2GO (Boys & Girls Club of Burlington)	Community	Serves children ages 12 to 18	Chittenden County
Mentor Arts (Burlington City Arts)	Community/Site	Serves children ages 10 to 18	Burlington
Mentors for Kids (Linking Learning to Life)	School and Community	Serves children of all school ages	Burlington
Reach for the Stars (Partnership for Youth and Community Empowerment)	School	Serves children grade 4 through high school	South Burlington
ReTrain (ReSource)	Community	Serves children ages 16 to 24	Burlington
RSVP School Buddies (United Way of Chittenden County)	School	Serves children in elementary school	Chittenden County
Spectrum Mentoring (Spectrum Youth & Family Services)	Community	Serves children ages 11 to 21	Chittenden County
VSAC GEAR UP Mentoring Program (Vermont Student Assistance Corporation)	School and Community	Serves children in middle school	Colchester, Winooski