OFE Awards Boren Mentoring Initiative Grants to 10 Programs

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has awarded $18,000 in 2024 Boren Mentoring Initiative Grants to help support the growth and development of K-12 mentoring programs in Oklahoma.

Project Get Active and Involved Now of Kingfisher and Communities and Schools Together by Putnam City Public School Foundation of Oklahoma City are the recipients of $3,000 start-up grants. The OFE awards start-up grants to organizations or programs in their first three years of operation. These grants are designed to encourage communities to establish quality mentoring programs.

Project GAIN focuses on youth leadership and professional development. It equips youth with knowledge and experience in four key areas: leadership, innovation, fellowship and education. Grant funds will be used for transportation, training, equipment, supplies and other expenses.

CAST pairs students with mentors who provide accountability, motivation and hope to pursue a successful educational career and opportunities. The grant funds will allow the program to expand its mentorship program to two additional school sites.

Eight $1,500 opportunity grants were awarded to existing mentoring programs to help fund programming, training, materials or other needs that advance excellence in mentoring for K-12 students.

Opportunity grant recipients are Bridges of Norman, the Kingfisher Educational Foundation’s Students With A Role Model, Operation Aware of Coweta, Yukon Public Schools Miller Mentors and four Oklahoma City-based programs: Alpha Boys Institute, Calm Waters Center for Children and Families, the Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation’s ReadOKC Reading Buddies and Book Club and Project Whiz Kids Site.

“We are thrilled to provide grants to these 10 innovative organizations,” said Lauren Dow, manager of the Boren Mentoring Initiative. “Each one makes a positive impact on students in and out of the classroom through their quality mentoring programs.”

The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is a statewide nonprofit dedicated to recognizing and celebrating excellence in Oklahoma’s public schools. To learn more about the foundation, visit OFE.org.

 

More Information on the Opportunity Grant Recipients

Alpha Boys Institute, Oklahoma City: This program offers career exploration, academic mentorship and life skills development for at-risk boys in Millwood and F.D. Moon middle schools by pairing youth with a trusted male mentor.

Bridges of Norman: This program assists students by removing barriers to graduation, which includes help with food, clothing, shelter and medical needs. Grant funds will support a summer service project, “Storytelling for Service,” which will connect current and past mentees and mentors as they explore the impact of stories and storytelling on their lives and future.

Calm Waters Student Support Groups, Oklahoma City: This group provides focused support and compassion to children who are struggling after a traumatic loss in their life. The goal is to provide direct support in a close-knit group setting where students can be vulnerable in a community where their loss is understood.

ReadOKC Reading Buddies & Book Clubs, Oklahoma City: The Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation’s mentorship program places volunteers at schools to provide consistent support to small groups of students. Reading mentors spend consistent time with students to increase self-esteem, foster self-motivation, promote responsibility and assist in improving students’ attitudes toward reading.

Operation Aware of Oklahoma, Coweta: This program’s mission is to empower students with vital life skills, allowing them to tackle complex challenges like peer pressure, bullying and substance abuse. It uses evidence-based practices and innovative methods to create safe, supportive learning environments.

Prospect Whiz Kids Site, Oklahoma City: This program seeks to improve the well-being of inner-city youth through academic tutoring and positive mentoring. Its goal is to connect with at-reach students that are most in need of reading assistance.

SWARM, Kingfisher: Made possible by the Kingfisher Educational Foundation, this program pairs mentors with at-risk students who might need extra support and encouragement. The mentors support, work with and even play games with their students, allowing them to share concerns beyond academics.

Yukon Public Schools Miller Mentors, Yukon: The program pairs a positive adult with a child that needs more love, guidance and support. Mentors commit to spending 30 minutes a week during school hours to connect with their mentee through games, crafts and other activities.

Mentors from Putnam City Public School Foundation’s Communities and Schools Together program gather for a luncheon.
Mentors from Putnam City Public School Foundation’s Communities and Schools Together program gather for a luncheon.
Kingfisher’s Project Get Active and Involved Now focuses on youth leadership and professional development.
Kingfisher’s Project Get Active and Involved Now focuses on youth leadership and professional development.