OFE News Release
Foundation Names Director of Boren Mentoring Initiative
January 9, 2012
OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has named Beverly Woodrome of Edmond as its new director of the David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative, a statewide initiative to promote the growth and development of quality youth mentoring programs.
A longtime educator, Woodrome taught English and Latin in Shawnee and Edmond Public Schools. She also served as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. Following her retirement from the classroom, Woodrome served in various positions on the staff of the Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition (OBEC). During her work with OBEC, Woodrome became involved in Kerr-McGee’s mentoring program, volunteering as a mentor at Columbus Elementary School in Oklahoma City.
As an educator, Woodrome was president of the Oklahoma Foreign Language Teachers Association and was a sponsor of Junior Classical League, co-chairing the National Junior Classical League Convention when it was held in Oklahoma. She has served as president of the Kiwanis Club of Oklahoma City and volunteered as chair for many Kiwanis-sponsored charitable events. Woodrome earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma.
“We are excited to welcome Beverly Woodrome to our staff,” said Emily Stratton, executive director of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence. “As an educator, mentor and nonprofit staff member, she brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her role as Boren Mentoring Initiative director.”
During its 20th anniversary in 2006, the foundation launched the Boren Mentoring Initiative to promote the growth and development of quality youth mentoring programs statewide. The initiative grew out of Boren’s own commitment to mentoring and the proven impact that mentoring can have on a student’s success in and out of the classroom. Since then, more than 60 Oklahoma mentoring programs have joined the foundation’s network.
Through the initiative, the foundation works with mentoring organizations, schools, local education foundations and businesses to promote mentoring as a positive step toward academic excellence. The foundation also provides training, marketing and networking opportunities for new and established mentoring programs, and encourages programs to follow established standards for safe and effective practice. Recently, the foundation expanded its Fall Forum for Local Education Foundations to include sessions for mentoring programs.
In addition, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has been designated as Oklahoma’s lead organization for National Mentoring Month by the Harvard Mentoring Project.