Spring Break
Middletown program provides mentoring
Alison Covey
Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: Campus
The Middletown city government, Miami University Middletown and Middletown High School are coming together to try to make a change in the community with the student-mentoring program, Step Up.
According to program's director, Angela Yesh, Step-Up is a five-year program designed to support eighth grade students through high school graduation, as well as their first year of post-secondary education.
Since February 2006, the program has been pairing a student from Middletown High School with an adult mentor, Yesh explained. These adults include Miami students and professors, as well as Middletown community members.
James Ewers, associate dean of student affairs at Miami Middletown, explained that the program is intended to provide Middletown students with opportunities they may not have
had otherwise.
"One of the main goals of this program is to ensure opportunities for college," Ewers said.
The program was created for high school students needing help graduating high school, Yesh said.
"The idea was that the community as a whole would benefit greatly by helping those students graduate and go on to college," Yesh said.
According to Yesh, high school students can qualify to participate in the program if they have low academic achievement, multiple absences and a certain socioeconomic status. Students also have to be recommended by a counselor, teacher, parent or a member of the community.
Yesh said that the program is specially tailored for each student.
"The program is designed in cooperation with the student participants, their parents and community members to help ensure the program fits each individual's needs," she said.
The program provides tutoring, career education, exposure to career options, social events and anything necessary for the students to achieve their goals, according to Yesh.
Currently, there are 17 active high school students in the program.
According to Ewers, the minimum amount of time mentors spend with their student each month is 16 hours-approximately four hours each week. The amount of time varies, Ewers said, depending on the relationship the mentor has with his or her student.
According to program's director, Angela Yesh, Step-Up is a five-year program designed to support eighth grade students through high school graduation, as well as their first year of post-secondary education.
Since February 2006, the program has been pairing a student from Middletown High School with an adult mentor, Yesh explained. These adults include Miami students and professors, as well as Middletown community members.
James Ewers, associate dean of student affairs at Miami Middletown, explained that the program is intended to provide Middletown students with opportunities they may not have
had otherwise.
"One of the main goals of this program is to ensure opportunities for college," Ewers said.
The program was created for high school students needing help graduating high school, Yesh said.
"The idea was that the community as a whole would benefit greatly by helping those students graduate and go on to college," Yesh said.
According to Yesh, high school students can qualify to participate in the program if they have low academic achievement, multiple absences and a certain socioeconomic status. Students also have to be recommended by a counselor, teacher, parent or a member of the community.
Yesh said that the program is specially tailored for each student.
"The program is designed in cooperation with the student participants, their parents and community members to help ensure the program fits each individual's needs," she said.
The program provides tutoring, career education, exposure to career options, social events and anything necessary for the students to achieve their goals, according to Yesh.
Currently, there are 17 active high school students in the program.
According to Ewers, the minimum amount of time mentors spend with their student each month is 16 hours-approximately four hours each week. The amount of time varies, Ewers said, depending on the relationship the mentor has with his or her student.
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