September 20, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

YouthFriends Partnerships Benefit KCK Students

They come from corporations like HNTB and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some give up their lunch hour, and all take time away from their busy work schedules to make an investment in the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools. That investment comes in the form of mentoring.

Dozens of adult volunteers visit KCKPS schools each week, pairing up with students to help them with math and other subjects, or to simply spend time with them, showing them that they care. They are part of YouthFriends, a nonprofit organization that connects young people with caring adult volunteers in schools to promote success, encourage healthy behaviors, and build stronger communities.

Susan Washburn, math teacher for the Hospitality Learning Community at Wyandotte High School, is also the school's YouthFriends building coordinator. It is a job she is dedicated to because she sees the positive attributes it provides to students.

"These mentors have inspired our kids to think about things they have never thought about," Washburn said. "They're learning about the possibilities available to them in the field of math, such as engineering and architecture. And though our program is more academically based, character comes into play because these students get to see what a professional acts like."

Washburn began her involvement with YouthFriends three years ago. She was teaching summer school math at the time and saw how her students (many of whom were juniors) were struggling to pass. She paired them up with a number of new KCK Teaching Fellows and saw what a difference it made for them to have one-on-one help.

"It made me realize that if we were going to meet our benchmarks and make some strides, we were going to need outside help," she recalled.

She approached Instructional Coach Mary Stewart who hooked her up with YouthFriends. The first week of school that fall, two mentors from HNTB showed up and the program has blossomed from there. Washburn is always on the lookout for new mentors, and has recruited a number of administrators from the district who regularly work with students. Her goal is to provide mentors to every classroom in the school.

"It is really going to take a community effort to get our kids where they need to be academically and professionally. It can't just be about the teachers teaching," Washburn said.

Washburn credits her success in recruiting mentors to the hard work and dedication of all the staff.

"When someone in the business community comes into a school, they're not as inclined to give time if they think the staff themselves are not doing what they can," she emphasized. "But they see we are working super hard on our own. Our teachers are dedicated to bridging the gap with kids."

Mentors for all academic areas are always needed. To become a mentor in KCKPS, contact Doug Walker, KCKPS YouthFriends coordinator, 627-4377. To contact Washburn about mentoring at Wyandotte, call 627-7769.