Norman Transcript article on Fall Forum Keynote Address by Susan Weinberger
October 25, 2006
‘Dr. Mentor’ offers prescription for excellence at Fall Forum
By Tony Pennington
Norman Transcript Staff Writer
(405) 366-3541
“Dr. Mentor” paid a house call Tuesday to almost 300 educators and public school supporters and wrote them a prescription that could provide a shot in the arm to a statewide mentoring initiative.
Dr. Susan Weinberger — Dr. Mentor— delivered the keynote address at the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence 18th annual Fall Forum for local education foundations in the Oklahoma Memorial Union on the University of Oklahoma campus. Weinberger is an accomplished author, internationally known youth mentoring consultant and a veteran of more than 35 years in the classroom and school administration. She is a past recipient of President Bill Clinton’s Volunteer Action Award and the president and founder of the Mentor Consulting Group in Norwalk, Conn.
Her appearance comes a year after OFE introduced the David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative and served as encouragement and support for the “development of school-based mentoring programs in Oklahoma’s public schools.”
“Mentoring is an idea whose time has truly come,” she said in her more than 20 minute speech. “This is the most proven initiative I know in making a difference in a child’s life.”
She described mentoring “as old as the Odyssey,” and gave a brief account of the development of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the place of the valued counselor and guide in several cultures and in the professional arena. Weinberger also turned to one of her heroes, children’s television host Mr. Rogers, as an inspiration.
“Mr. Rogers is a man of wisdom,” she said. “In 1994 he said, ‘We live in a world in which we need to share responsibility. It’s easy to say it’s not my child, not my community, not my world, not my problem.’”
She expanded on his words by explaining the need for a mentor wasn’t exclusive to minorities, poor or single parent families. Weinberger said 80 percent of students now have working mothers and the lack structured out-of-school time leads to undesired behaviors. She also challenged the audience not to label these children as “at-risk.”
“You label them in the classroom. You label them in the community, and you label them in the media,” she said. “They are truly on the brink of success, and we are in the business of positive youth development.”
She also cited a study conducted by Big Brothers Big Sisters that found mentoring could lead to a reduction of drug and alcohol use, violence and negative behaviors. But, communities must first reach out to those students.
The process begins, Weinberger said, with a supportive school district and recognizing mentors can be anyone who can supply a “structured and trusting relationship.”
“We have all different types of mentoring programs,” she said, drawing attention to site-, community- and faith-based efforts. “The mentor still has to be wise, but it doesn’t have to be one-on-one or an adult.”
According to Weinberger, mentoring can involve adults and youth, peer to peer, groups, team/buddy, family and e-mentoring. She also illustrated women are more often to volunteer than men, and she wasn’t going to let the guys off the hook.
“We have to put M-E-N back into mentoring,” she said. “What is it with men? I need to understand why more men aren’t involved with mentoring.”
Her attention quickly turned to the “baby boomers.” She said many are facing retirement and could benefit from a mentorship. She asked those in attendance to raise their hands if they were approaching 60. As the hands went up, she told them what to do next.
“Go and mentor.”
Weinberger concluded her message with a top-10 list of the mutual benefits of mentoring. But before she left the stage, Weinberger left the crowd with one last charge:
“Make a difference.”
This article is reprinted with permission from the Norman Transcript.