Mentoring program celebrates success

By DONNA L. PFROMMER

On May 28th, close to 200 mentors, mentees and family members gathered at Testo’s Restaurant to celebrate the relationships developed through the Wi-mentor program during the school year.  Wi-mentor is an internet-based mentoring program with a built-in curriculum that matches mentors and mentees on a one-on-one basis.   It is focused on youth from underserved communities in our region.  Wi-mentor, which was launched in 2007 by United Way of Coastal Fairfield County, is part of the iMentor Interactive national program and is a partnership with public schools, School Volunteer Association, Bridgeport Public Education Fund and Pitney Bowes.   This year, the program expanded to include students at Stratford High School and Bridge Academy in Bridgeport and ran for its second year at Warren Harding and Bassick High Schools, and the Make the Grade Opportunity School.  There were 108 one-on-one mentor-mentee matches made this year, an increase of 150 % from its first year in 2007 – 2008.

This year, employees from Healthnet, Pitney Bowes, RBS Card Services, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, Sikorsky, and UI were part of the success of the program by becoming Wi-mentors.
Mentors and mentees receive weekly prompts of topics that the pair share with one another.  They are asked to spend at least 45 minutes a week exchanging emails.  The goal is to improve students’ relationship-building skills, help them academically, and introduce them to career and college opportunities.  To deepen the relationship bond between mentor and mentee, several face to face get togethers are planned throughout the year.  In addition, Wi-mentor opened a Drop-in Center on Monday evenings between 6:00-8:00 p.m.at the Cardinal Shehan Center in Bridgeport this year.  The Drop-in Center gives mentors and mentees an additional opportunity to meet in-person outside of program sponsored events.  The pairs enjoyed themes each week which included: Game Night; Planning for the Future Night; Mentors vs. Mentees Basketball Game; Yoga and gym Night; and Movie Night. 

The program also stresses the importance of community service.  In April, Wi-mentor participants and supporters helped prepare two Community Gardens in Bridgeport.   The group removed weeds and debris and spread top soil, making the gardens at Ridge Avenue and Arctic Streets ready to serve its neighborhood. 

The Wi-mentor program was recently recognized by the Governor’s Prevention Partnership for its innovative approach in getting more people involved in mentor-mentee relationships.  One reason the Wi-mentor program was started is to make it easier for adults and young people to communicate regularly. Interacting by computer offers more time flexibility for participants than traditional one-on-one meetings in school settings. 

United Way of Coastal Fairfield County’s mission is: “Together, we mobilize our communities to improve people’s lives”. Our vision is to advance the common good by creating opportunities for a better life for all.  Working with many partners, United Way is focused on the building blocks that we all need for a good life:  a quality education that leads to a stable job, income that can support a family through retirement, and good health.  United Way of Coastal Fairfield County serves the towns of Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, Westport, Trumbull, Easton, Monroe, Weston, Norwalk, Wilton and Darien.  Find out more at our website, www.unitedwaycfc.org.