Program Links
Oklahoma Mentoring Programs
The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence provides this listing of many Oklahoma mentoring programs as a service to prospective mentors, families, schools and communities. The foundation provides this directory as a community service and does not approve and/or endorse any specific mentoring programs. Families, educators and prospective volunteers are encouraged to consider the standards and practices of each program.
If you do not see a program in your community or are interested in learning how to start a program, call the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, 405-236-0006.
Register Your Program
To add your mentoring program to the directory, please contact the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, 405-236-0006.
MULTI-SITE/COUNTY/STATEWIDE PROGRAMS
Area Offices – Bartlesville, Norman, Oklahoma City, Ponca City, Shawnee, Stillwater and Tulsa
Big Brothers Big Sisters’ evidence-based mentoring programs are designed to create positive, measurable outcomes for youth, including educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. We match children (we call them Littles) with caring adult role models (we call them Bigs). Our Bigs share experiences with our Littles that expand their world in new ways.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based and community-based, one-on-one
CONTACT: Marie Quinten, communications and marketing director
PHONE: 918-728-7940
EMAIL: marie.quinten@bbbsok.org
Eastern Oklahoma – In many cities and towns
Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma We’re part of 2.6 million—1.8 million girls and 800,000 adults—who believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker, Leader)™ to change the world. The journey began more than 100 years ago with the original G.I.R.L., Juliette Gordon “Daisy” Low. In 1912, Low organized the very first Girl Scout troop, and every year since, we’ve honored her vision and legacy, building girls of courage, confidence, and character to make the world a better place. The preeminent leadership development organization for girls, Girl Scouts offers every girl a chance to practice a lifetime of leadership, adventure, and success. Contact us if you wish to volunteer or find a program.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Group (troop) mentoring
PHONE: 1-800-707-9914
EMAIL: customercare@gseok.org
Western Oklahoma – In many Oklahoma cities and towns
Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma Serving 39 counties in central, southern and western Oklahoma, Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma provides leadership programs that build girls of courage, confidence and character to make the world a better place. Girl Scouts began over 100 years ago with one woman, Juliette Gordon Low—also known as Daisy. She believed in the power of every girl. Today we continue her mission through programming in our schools designed to reverse the negative statistics for Oklahoma girls in kindergarten through 12th grade. We need your help to reach them all. Whether you can commit one hour a week or five, you will be impacting the lives of girls in our state with our eight-week Community Scouting Program. Contact us today! Let us know you want to get involved in our Community Scouting Program. We can’t wait to see the impact you will make!
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Group (troop) mentoring
PHONE: 405-528-4475 or 1-800-698-0022
EMAIL: info@gswestok.org
Junior Achievement of Oklahoma, Inc. offers volunteer-delivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs fostering work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and uses experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and reach their potential. Junior Achievement provides programs in 24 counties and 67 districts for students K-12. JA is on track to reach its goal over 62,000 students served in 2019-2020. Group mentoring in classrooms and experiential learning opportunities include JA BizTown Learning Center in Tulsa, one of 30 in the United States; JA Job Shadow; and JA Investor Challenge. Businesses provide volunteers.
CONTACT: Erica Irvine, VP, operations, Tulsa
PHONE: 918-663-2158
EMAIL: EIrvine@jaok.org
CONTACT: Jo Wise, regional director, OKC
PHONE: 405-300-1023
EMAIL: JWise@jaok.org
Oklahoma County
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Goodwell, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
The Oklahoma State Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers provide after school and summer “out-of-school” time to mentor and tutor students in high-risk, high-need areas. Contact Sonia Johnson at the number below to learn how to sign up in your district.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Sonia Johnson, director
PHONE: 405-522-6225
EMAIL: sonia.johnson@sde.ok.gov
R is for Thursday is an Oklahoma-based, research-led initiative that equips individuals to support college-bound foster youth/alumni and foster alumni attending college. R is for Thursday currently defines an R is for Thursday (R4T) student as any person who spent time in an out-of-home placement in any state or country from ages 13-18 and who is currently enrolled in or has graduated from college, or is college-bound. R is for Thursday also honors and is interested in the experiences and needs of other traditionally hidden college student populations. A traditionally hidden college student population is defined as one that is not easily visually identified, does not generally have a formal voice on campus, and may be motivated to remain anonymous. The activities of R is for Thursday are accomplished through collaborative partnerships with the foster alumni community, students/graduates, interdisciplinary researchers, community professionals, state and federal entities, and higher education campuses.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Research-based
CONTACT: Dr. Kerri Kearney, associate professor, Oklahoma State University College of Education Health and Aviation and Human Sciences
PHONE: 405-697-8263
EMAIL:risforthursday@okstate.edu
Rogers County – Catoosa, Claremore, Chelsea, Foyil, Inola, Justus-Tiawah, Oologah-Talala, Sequoyah and Verdigris.
The PAL+ Mentoring Program with Volunteers for Youth is a community-based mentoring program. Adult volunteers (mentor) are trained and paired with students (mentee). Mentoring options include site-based one-to-one at the school site and group sessions at area recovery groups. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate. The mentor’s purpose is to build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth in the student while building a friendship. TYPE OF PROGRAM: school-based
CONTACT: Cindy Wilson, PAL+ program director
PHONE: 918-343-2530
EMAIL: cindy.w@volunteersforyouth.com
STARBASE Oklahoma is a Department of Defense funded program through the Oklahoma Military Department. The STARBASE 2.0 Afterschool Program volunteer mentors are STEM professionals from Oklahoma military bases, oil, gas, and various aerospace industries in the respective locations of each program. These volunteers give their guidance and expertise to the young people to help complete selected STEM projects for their afterschool setting. Presently, the eleven STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0 programs are located at Oklahoma City ASTEC Charter School, Midwest City Carl Albert Middle School, Canute Middle School, Lawton Central Middle School, Duncan Middle School, Del City Kerr Middle School, Choctaw Nicoma Park Middle School, Tulsa Union Sixth and Seventh Grade Center, Tahlequah Woodall Public Schools and Hominy Osage Nation.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
CONTACT: Rita Miller, director, STARBASE Oklahoma
PHONE: 918-833-7757
EMAIL: ramille@starbaseok.org
Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) Peer Support Initiative, under the auspices of Goodwill Industries of Central Oklahoma, focuses on pairing veterans who have successfully transitioned to civilian life with veterans who have requested assistance transitioning. Primary candidates are veterans who have utilized SSVF services in the past and have firsthand knowledge of how to navigate the social services and benefits available to them, although any veteran can serve as a mentor. The first eight Veteran Mentors were trained March 2016 and began mentoring soon after. Serving Oklahoma, Cleveland, Lincoln, Logan, and Pottawatomie counties, this program gives veterans who were able to utilize the SSVF program to become stable an opportunity to reach back and help a fellow veteran. The program also will serve as a continuation of the recovery process for Veteran Mentors as they assist the incoming veteran with becoming stable by giving them a handup and not a handout. At the same time, the program will hopefully build a sustained community of veterans that can provide social support for one another through coordinated community service and activities. Participants have thorough training through research-based mentoring methods as well as abundant resources, group outings, activities for mentors-mentees as well as families, and mentor support.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Peer mentoring, community-based
CONTACT: Donnie Lewis, program manager, SSVF
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Goodwell, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
The Alva Public Schools Mentoring Program is designed to foster a love of reading in students. Participants can choose to mentor at buildings for different grades, i.e., K-first, second-third grade or the fourth-fifth grade. Mentors spend 30 minutes once a week reading to their student before school. Mentors include those from the community, college and high school who believe in children. Many retirees have been with the same student from first-fifth grade.
TYPE: School-based
CONTACT: Kristen Anderson, media specialist, Lincoln Elementary School
PHONE: 580-327-3008
EMAIL: kkanderson@alvaschools.net
CONTACT: Ashley Brinkley, media specialist, Washington Early Childhood Center
PHONE: 580-327-3518
EMAIL: anbrinkley@alvaschools.net
CONTACT: Heather Hall, media specialist, Longfellow Elementary School
PHONE: 580-327-3327
EMAIL: hlhall@alvaschool.net
Northwestern Oklahoma State University hosts four mentoring programs.
- The Literacy Center on campus offers tutoring to elementary school students in reading
- Once a year the Northwestern Leadership Class visits a middle school to talk to students about higher education and opportunities at NWOSU
- For three years NWOSU has worked with Enid and Woodward Public Schools to recruit students into the education field through the Teach Oklahoma Program.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based, school-based
CONTACT: Dr. Bo Hannaford, vice president of academic affairs
PHONE: 580-327-8406
EMAIL: bshannaford@nwosu.edu
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Goodwell, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate, faculty mentors
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
Be BLUE (Beautiful, Loving, Unique, Exceptional) Girls – is an educational and mentorship program for 9-12 years old girls that address the components of competency, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping and control through activities including STEM, events and civic exposure.
TYPE: After School
CONTACT: Shenita Jones, CEO Restoring Lives
PHONE: 580-798-3650
EMAIL: shenita.jones@restoringlivesnow.org
The Bartlesville Public Schools Volunteer Program coordinates community volunteer opportunities within Bartlesville Public Schools such as elementary lunch buddies mentoring, tutoring and crosswalk guards.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Christina Rigdon, family support coordinator, Title I Schools/district volunteer coordinator
PHONE: 918-336-3311
EMAIL: rigdoncv@bps-ok.org
On the Rock Ministries’ All-Star Tutoring Program pairs volunteers, adult through high school, with students third through eighth grade weekly. They spend time working one-on-one in a computer lab as students work on lessons in Study Island. Mentors/tutors are also encouraged to help them set academic and personal goals. The program provides incentives for participants to attend each week with a free fun trip each semester if they attend weekly. Participating students from Bartlesville and Dewey, Washington, and Osage Counties can earn Rock Bucks for prizes as well.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school
CONTACT: Dixie McClain, tutoring director
PHONE: 918-336-2636
EMAIL: staff@rockbville.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma’s evidence-based mentoring programs are designed to create positive, measurable outcomes for youth, including educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence and better relationships. We match children (Littles) with caring adult role models (Bigs). Our Bigs share experiences with our Littles that expand their world in new ways.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: One-to-one mentoring, community-based and school-based
CONTACT: Charlene Dew, area director
PHONE: 918-213-4524
EMAIL: charlene.dew@bbbsok.org
Boys and Girls Club of Bartlesville, works with youth to develop the qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders through a broad range of programs in five core program areas: character development, education & career development, health & life skills, the arts, and sports, fitness & recreation.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school
CONTACT: Keith Goree, unit director
PHONE: 918-336-3636
EMAIL: kgoree@bgcbville.org
The Lowe Family Young Scholars Program provides academic-focused mentoring to students in grades six-12. Students and parents are required to attend quarterly meetings and volunteer activities. Students who successfully complete the mentoring program qualify to receive $4,000 per scholarship to attend one of the program’s partner universities: Rogers State University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, or Oklahoma State University.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based
CONTACT: Michael Secora, executive director
PHONE: 918-766-6675
EMAIL: loweyoungscholar@aol.com
MUTUAL, is a biblically based organization and was founded in 1964. Our mission is to provide a safe environment for all girls and women to discover their identity in Christ. Up until 2015, MUTUAL was an after-school program for girls. In 2015, we launched MUTUAL Gold and began to work with area schools to provide encouragement and quality mentorship during the school day for girls 4th through gth grades. MUTUAL Women was launched in 2019 providing a Mentorship program, life skill classes and informational workshops. MUTUAL Women is host for several group’s relevant to the needs of women of all ages. Presently, MUTUAL is partnering with an after-school provider in a pilot program for girls 1st through 5th. This program implements 4 important building blocks; self-control, self-discipline, responsibility and focus. Tuesday House, a popular resale business created to produce revenue for the club, provides significant funding for all these programs.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Expanded learning; faith-based; group mentoring
CONTACT: Penny Meadow, executive director
PHONE: 918-336-9151
EMAIL: director@mutualbartlesville.org
Run the Streets is a mentoring program which uses long-distance running as a vehicle for change with at-risk and delinquent youth. Run the Streets is a program designed to challenge youth to experience the benefits of goal setting, character development, adult mentoring and improved health by providing them with the experience of training for and completing a half marathon. Run the Streets also functions as an alternative to traditional probation for delinquent youth who can complete their probation simply by completing the program. The program is free to all youth, and Run the Streets provides each child with running shoes, running attire, watches, entry fees for races, transportation, meals, parties and rewards. Youth between the ages of 12 and 18 years of age train with adult mentors to run a half-marathon after 13 weeks of training. During the season, youth and mentors log approximately 175 miles together in training. Runners train three days per week: Tuesdays in collective running groups at 4:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.; Thursdays in collective running groups at 4:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.; and Saturday mornings with the entire group at 7:30 a.m.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based
CONTACT: Kim Camacho, RTS coordinator; Bob Williams, RTS founder
PHONE: 918-330-6151
EMAIL: rtsc@runthestreets.org
Beaver Duster Mentoring Program, launched in October 2014, matches community volunteer mentors and high school student peer mentors with elementary students. Among various activities, the mentor-mentee matches play board and physical games as well as do crafts. Some mentors also volunteer for additional reading with students, and some mentor high school students. In Fall 2019, Beaver Duster Mentoring program had 28 mentors.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-base, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Linda Downing, founder and director
PHONE: 580-625-3221
EMAIL: linda.lltravel@outlook.com
Launched in Fall 2018, BEST!, Building Extraordinary Success Today, offers positive role models and leadership opportunities for fifth-eighth grade students through one-on-one mentoring and group activities. Sponsored by the Cache Schools Education Foundation, BEST! empowers youth in area rural communities to explore future career choices and make positive life choices that lead to current and future success. BEST! requires one hour a week during the August-May school year and supports three to four group activities focusing on career, leadership and outdoor adventure.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based
CONTACT: Rhonda Clemmer, founder and program coordinator
PHONE: 580-585-3748
EMAIL: bestmentor18@gmail.com
DOD STARBASE Oklahoma is an afterschool, STEM-based, group mentoring program, called Afterschool Mentoring Clubs, for sixth through eighth graders. Canute Middle School has one club with one engineer, one energy professional mentor, our educator-mentors and one parent-mentor. In addition to the clubs’ STEM project, CO2 Dragsters & Introductory Lego Mindstorms, the mentors and mentees employ goal-setting and team-building skills.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
CONTACT: Rita Miller, director, STARBASE Oklahoma
PHONE: 580-472-3295 (Canute Middle School), 918-833-7757 (Rita Miller)
Catoosa High School’s Students as Mentors (SAM) program is focused on peer mentoring. A student is chosen by each teacher to represent their advisory class called Advocacy, usually a successful junior or senior. Those 45 students receive training in monthly meetings on how to mentor younger students. The main focus of the mentoring group is freshmen students from their Advocacy class. Each mentor has approximately 3 mentees to assist. Additional responsibilities of mentors are college readiness and school spirit projects.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Peer mentoring, school-based
CONTACT: Bridget Tognazzini, librarian and sponsor
PHONE: 918-266-8619
EMAIL: btognazzini@catoosa.k12.ok.us
Rogers County – Catoosa, Claremore, Chelsea, Foyil, Inola, Justus-Tiawah, Oologah-Talala, Sequoyah and Verdigris.
The PAL+ Mentoring Program with Volunteers for Youth is a community-based mentoring program. Adult volunteers (mentor) are trained and paired with students (mentee). Mentoring options include site-based one-to-one at the school site and group sessions at area recovery groups. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate. The mentor’s purpose is to build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth in the student while building a friendship. TYPE OF PROGRAM: school-based
CONTACT: Cindy Wilson, PAL+ program director
PHONE: 918-343-2530
EMAIL: cindy.w@volunteersforyouth.com
Cashion Elementary School’s Cashion Mentoring Program gives high school students the opportunity to mentor elementary students.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Totsy Manning, program director
PHONE: 405-433-2575 (school number)
EMAIL: tmanning@cashionps.org
The PAL+ Mentoring Program with Volunteers for Youth is a community-based mentoring program. Adult volunteers (mentor) are trained and paired with students (mentee). Mentoring options include site-based one-to-one at the school site and group sessions at area recovery groups. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate. The mentor’s purpose is to build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth in the student while building a friendship. TYPE OF PROGRAM: school-based
CONTACT: Cindy Wilson, PAL+ program director
PHONE: 918-343-2530
EMAIL: cindy.w@volunteersforyouth.com
Cheyenne Public Schools’ B.E.A.R.S., Building Esteem And Responsibility, began its program in fall 2014 with 36 available mentors and 25 mentees. Cheyenne plans to expand the number of fifth-and sixth-grade students mentored.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Belinda Chalfant, elementary school principal and Jowana Trammell
PHONE: 580-497-3371
EMAIL: belinda.chalfant@cheyenne.k12.ok.us, jowana.trammell@cheyenne.k12.ok.us
Principal’s Leadership Council is a 9th-12th grade organization that focuses on community and school service. We have several programs that give back to students, teachers and community members. Generous Kids is a project where we buy winter clothes and shoes for children in need. We also volunteer at most community and civic events. We have a Big/Little mentorship program between members and our 7th graders. Our membership is voluntary and encouraged among all students.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Whitney Moore, high school principal
PHONE: 580-497-3371
EMAIL: whitney.moore@cheyenne.k12.ok.us
Cherokee Elementary School’s Breakfast Buddies, established in August 2019, enables students the opportunity to build positive relationships with caring adults to help foster personal growth and confidence. Mentoring is from 7:45-8:30 a.m. one day a week for an academic year. The vision is to ensure that all students at Cherokee Elementary have a caring role model and an advocate in their life to empower them to reach their full potential. TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Christa Hughes, program director
PHONE: 580-596-3277
EMAIL: Christahughes78@yahoo.com
The Pathways Alumni Mentoring Program, the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, supports the principles of co-curricular learning by connecting mentees with established alumni who serve as mentors and guides for professional career development. The program is facilitated through a partnership between the Student Success Center and Alumni Development at the University Applications for both mentor and mentee positions. Matches are made and notified in September and the program calendar runs from October to April. TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate, alumni/professional mentoring
CONTACT: Misti McClellan, director of alumni development
PHONE: 405-574-1320
EMAIL: mmcclellan@usao.edu
STARBASE Oklahoma is a Department of Defense funded program through the Oklahoma Military Department. The STARBASE 2.0 Afterschool Program volunteer mentors are STEM professionals from Oklahoma military bases, oil, gas, and various aerospace industries in the respective locations of each program. These volunteers give their guidance and expertise to the young people to help complete selected STEM projects for their particular afterschool setting. Presently, the STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0 program is located at Nicoma Park Middle School.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
CONTACT: Rita Miller, director, STARBASE Oklahoma
PHONE: (405) 769-3106 (Nicoma Park Middle School), 918-833-7757 (Rita Miller)
At Rogers State University, mentoring takes place through our early alert system. Faculty or staff identify at-risk behavior in students and complete an online form, which is then submitted to the appropriate resource on campus for follow-up. Retention specialists contact the student to discuss any concerns and then provide the student with necessary campus resources and positive encouragement to address the concern. Another source of mentoring at RSU takes place in its orientation course, which is required of all students enrolled in developmental education. The course curriculum is designed to prepare students for the challenges that lie ahead and to inform them of available campus resources. Other mentoring includes the Honors Program, President’s Leadership Class, and HillCamp, our on-campus three-day orientation experience.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based, peer-to-peer mentoring
CONTACT: Dr. Richard Beck
EMAIL: rbeck@rsu.edu
Rogers County – Catoosa, Claremore, Chelsea, Foyil, Inola, Justus-Tiawah, Oologah-Talala, Sequoyah and Verdigris.
The PAL+ Mentoring Program with Volunteers for Youth is a community-based mentoring program. Adult volunteers (mentor) are trained and paired with students (mentee). Mentoring options include site-based one-to-one at the school site and group sessions at area recovery groups. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate. The mentor’s purpose is to build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth in the student while building a friendship. TYPE OF PROGRAM: school-based
CONTACT: Cindy Wilson, PAL+ program director
PHONE: 918-343-2530
EMAIL: cindy.w@volunteersforyouth.com
Nance Elementary School’s Tornadoes in Mentoring Excel mentoring program, established in August 2019, offers mentoring for Pre-K, kindergarten and first grade. At that level, mentoring is relatively short. For four-year-old mentee, 15 to 20 minutes are recommended. For kindergarten and first graders, 20-25 minutes. The mentoring commitment is one academic year with monitoring and support for mentors and mentees. This is a strong partnership among the mentoring partners—school, mentoring coordinators and the community. The mission statement is “to improve a mentee’s self-esteem and social competence by building a caring relationship with a trusted adult mentor.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Sherry Boyles and Yvonne Covey, mentoring coordinators
PHONE: 580-445-6070 or 580-445-1177
EMAIL: NESMentoring@clintonokschools.org
WENOK STEM Energy 2.0 WENOK, in partnership with DoD STARBASE Oklahoma, designed and delivered a successful pilot program of a twelve-module energy-based curriculum at Kerr Middle School in Del City during 2018-19. This STEM-based curriculum follows the full lifecycle of the oil & gas industry from exploration of oil and gas to renewables and consumable products. DOD STARBASE 2.0 program is focused on providing STEM opportunities to 6th through 8th grades, targeting schools with a high percentage of at-risk students, through engaging hands-on STEM activities and mentoring. WENOK’s volunteers designed the STEM part of the curriculum and served as facilitators and mentors to students while they shared their own experiences in technical fields within the oil and gas industry. The program teaches young women about the industry while building confidence and stimulating interest in STEM-based careers as they continue their education beyond middle school. In 2019-20, the program returns to Kerr Middle School and a school in the Tulsa metropolitan area.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based, STEM
CONTACTS: Susan Shons, director of Community Initiatives/STEM, and Maria Simpson, Community Initiatives/STEM Chair, Women’s Energy Network of Greater Oklahoma Chapter
EMAIL: greateroklahoma@womensenergynetwork.org
One True Light, Inc. oversees the Link ONE Mentoring program. Link ONE’s mission is linking caring, compassionate and consistent adults with children in need of positive role models. Link ONE Mentoring is a school-based mentoring program placing volunteers in Duncan Public Schools for the purpose of building one-on-one relationships with students. We now have mentors placed in all five Duncan elementary schools, Duncan Middle School and Duncan High School. Currently, we have over 80 local volunteers trained as mentors. One True Light, Inc. also operates a summer feeding program in cooperation with the Oklahoma Regional Food Bank, called “Spokes for Hope,” that began in 2012.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: In-school
CONTACT: Joan Brock, mentor coordinator
PHONE: 580-560-3999
EMAIL: onetruelight@outlook.com
STARBASE Oklahoma is a Department of Defense funded program through the Oklahoma Military Department. The STARBASE 2.0 Afterschool Program volunteer mentors are STEM professionals from Oklahoma military bases, oil, gas, and various aerospace industries in the respective locations of each program. These volunteers give their guidance and expertise to the young people to help complete selected STEM projects for their particular after-school setting. Presently, the local STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0 program is located at Duncan Middle School.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
CONTACT: Rita Miller, director, STARBASE Oklahoma
PHONE: (580) 470-8106 (Duncan Middle School), 918-833-7757 (Rita Miller)
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Goodwell, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Goodwell, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
Soncatchers Mentoring, a 501 (c) (3) Christian faith-based mentoring organization, is open to boys of all faiths who are from absent-father homes. Through father-son type experiences such as hiking, going to athletic events, watching and discussing movies, fishing, learning archery, playing catch and serving side-by-side in community projects, the Soncatchers Mentors provide positive growth toward manhood. Fun activities also include rocketry, rock climbing, kayaking and more. The format is for Mr. Shaw and the mentors to partner with existing organizations to offer their skills. Based in Edmond, Soncatchers serve boys from the Oklahoma City area. Past examples include offering archery and life skills as well as how adult men function at Lighthouse School, the Bethel Foundation, and Trail Life USA group programs.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, group mentoring
CONTACT: Joey Shaw, founder and director
PHONE: 405-308-3128
EMAIL: joeyshaw@soncatchers.net
Serving El Reno and surrounding towns, the House of Healing Authentic Girl Mentoring Program started in the spring of 2014 as part of House of Healing’s outreach to teenage girls. It is designed to give each girl an opportunity to engage in a deep relationship with a mentor and for healing to take place for those who are struggling and hurting. At the heart of the mentoring program is the ministry and support to parents. We believe the entire family unit must be healthy for real and lasting change in each girl’s life. The Authentic Girl Mentoring Program is made up of five key components that work together to instill values and confidence in each girl. The five components are Boost, Plunge, One on One, Synthesis, and Equine Experience. Together they create a rich experience that touches each girl at different points and levels in her life. The mentoring program has been designed to be more than a classroom experience, a weekend event, or time with a mentor; but rather it is a multi-dimensional experience over the course of a year that promotes honesty, support, and healing.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, out-of-school
CONTACT: Kathy Boeckman, CEO
PHONE: 405-250-4111
EMAIL: kathy@house-of-healing.org
Redlands Community College offers two mentoring programs for students and new faculty.
- Redlands Community College Faculty Senate assigns an experienced faculty member to mentor a new full-time faculty member during their first year of employment. Part-time faculty are mentored by their department head.
- The nursing community at Redlands Community College has a statewide group dedicated to mentoring, support, and the exchange of ideas for each level of academic instruction, LPN, A.D.N., and BSN. These three nursing groups meet annually to better enhance nursing communication.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based, peer mentoring, faculty mentoring, professional development
CONTACT: Rose Marie Moore
EMAIL: rosemarie.moore@redlandscc.edu
Students Striving for Success (SSS) Mentor Program provides one-on-one, weekly mentoring on school property. The El Reno Public School students are recommended by school personnel, and mentors must pass background tests and attend training. In September 2013, exactly 12 months after discussions were begun to establish a mentoring program, we had mentors in the classrooms. In 2018-19, the program had 66 mentors and 144 mentees from kindergarten through 8th grade.
TYPE: School-based
CONTACT: Dana Gibson, chairman
PHONE: 405-820-3800
EMAIL: dana02@aol.com
Merritt Mentors, begun in November 2015, serves any PK-12 student needing a mentor as a match becomes available. Pairs meet once a week for 30 minutes. Two rooms are available for our mentors and mentees, one in the elementary school and the other in the high school. Local companies helped supply materials and games for the mentoring rooms. Pairs are also welcome to go outside to a practice field or gym to do recreational activities. Merritt Public Schools is a rural district in Western Oklahoma. All mentors are recommended by someone on school staff. Once Devon Cantrell, the school counselor and program co-founder, has a referral paper for the recommended mentor, she contacts the potential mentor. The process for a potential mentee is quite comparable. A teacher recommends a student. Cantrell makes a match between mentor and mentee. Once all paperwork is returned, a consistent time suitable both for the homeroom teacher and mentor is determined.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Devon Cantrell, elementary counselor and program coordinator Stephanie Costello, junior high/high school counselor
PHONE: 580-225-5460
EMAIL: cantrelld@merritt.k12.ok.us, costellos@merritt.k12.ok.us
Elk City Middle School’s E.L.K.S. Career Coaches, launched by the middle school and the Elk City Education Foundation in January 2017 with 10 mentors, is a mentoring program with an emphasis on relationship-building and career exploration. E.L.K.S. stands for Encouraging and Leading Kids to Succeed. In addition to its stellar beginning, Elk City Public Schools is expanding E.L.K.S. into ninth grade in 2017-18 and envisions growing mentoring into elementary grades and other high school grades as well as adding peer mentoring. In fall 2017, the program had 50 mentors.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Danny McClure, director
PHONE: 580-225-0105
EMAIL: mcclure.danny@elkcityschools.com
Coach-A-Kid Enid is a collaborative mentoring program between United Way of Enid and Northwest Oklahoma, the Education Committee of Enid Metropolitan Human Service Commission, and Enid Public Schools. Beginning in September 2015, the program has active coaching sessions taking place in several elementary schools in Enid. The objectives of “Coach-A-Kid Enid” are to improve academic achievement with a focus on reading and math, to build self-esteem, establish positive relationships, and to help children overcome negative behaviors. Students are selected by teachers and/or counselors and referred to the Coach-A-Kid mentor. Teachers provide information to the mentors regarding the students, and mentors complete an easy-to-use evaluation form after the session for the teacher’s review. Mentors assist with classroom work, recreational activities, or provide one-on-one attention to the mentee. The program has expanded to include 9 elementary schools and 2 middle schools. The after-school program has 55 students. Coach-A-Kid Enid a partnership with Autry Tech to provide STEAM kits that allows mentors to work with their students one on one with these technologies. The program is also addressing trauma, resilience, hope, High ACE scores and all forms of bullying via quarterly mentor training.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based, Pre-K-fifth grade
CONTACT: John Gray, Coach-A-Kid coordinator
PHONE: 580-237-0821
EMAIL: john@unitedwayenid.org
Fifth-Grade Mentoring Program, invented circa 1986 by Enid accountant Stan Brownlee and originally targeting sixth graders, this once-a-week, 45-minute-long program has been replicated in other Enid elementary schools. Brownlee invites a surprise guest to be interviewed by two fifth-grade classes every Friday at McKinley Elementary. Students guess who the guest is, and clues are provided as needed. The guest tells what he was like in fifth grade and how he arrived at his present position. Students ask questions and then recite Brownlee’s six life lessons. Each teacher announces her student of the week, and Brownlee gives each a silver dollar. Many grown-ups still have their silver dollars!
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Amber Fitzgerald, director of HR and Communications, Enid PS
PHONE: 580-366-7000
EMAIL: arfitzgerald@enidk12.org
Enid’s First Presbyterian Church in 2002 began its successful partnership with McKinley Elementary School. Originally started as a Girl Scout Gold Award program by Enid High School senior Becky Merritt, the First Presbyterian mentoring project matches each elementary student with a mentor and provides transportation from the school to the church for weekly recreational activities and time with mentors. Church coordinators supply the school with a yellow folder for each student each year. The teacher fills it out weekly, explaining areas where the child needs help. The mentor signs it, asks questions and makes comments. Each mentor is given the teacher’s phone number and/or e-mail so that they can freely communicate during the year. Students are also offered the opportunity to attend Dwight Mission – a Presbyterian Church Camp at Vian, Oklahoma – each summer for one week.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Faith-based, school-based
CONTACT: Gail Wynne, program director
PHONE: 580-237-5413
EMAIL: gailbw@gmail.com
The Hope Outreach Parenting Ministry, part of a much larger organization, offers a wide range of parenting services including pre-natal to 18, an unexpected pregnancy, pregnancy, fatherhood, non-traditional families, and DHS and court-ordered cases. The Earn While You Learn program allows parents to earn dollars to spend in the baby store. Mentoring in addition to videos followed by discussion facilitate parents’ learning and growing. Character First, a research-based character education curriculum, also helps young people develop social skills. Hope Outreach Ministries, the parent organization, also provides services for the homeless, transitional housing, and community care services. A social entrepreneur, Hope Outreach has a successful thrift shop. In addition, Hope Outreach Ministries sponsors an annual Hope Outreach Abstinence Tea, begun in 2007 for seventh-grade girls, and an annual Character-based Abstinence Tailgate Bash for seventh-grade boys.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Faith-based, community-based
CONTACT: Glenda Aebi, mentor coordinator/Earn While You Learn
PHONE: 580-237-2292
EMAIL: glenda@hopeoutreach.org
The “SB Crew” mentors at the Carver Early Childhood Center. Stan Brownlee recruited nine of his male friends to mentor four-year-old children in this dedicated Pre-K center. Each mentor takes two to three children at a time and plays educational games with them for 15-20 minutes. They then go back to their assigned classroom and retrieve another group of children. The goal is for all students to be mentored. The student demographics of this school are quite unique, with about 30 percent of the population being non-English speaking at the beginning of the school year. By Christmas break, all of them are speaking English. The “SB Crew” has taken mentoring to a new level. In addition to devoting their time, they have provided Thanksgiving meals to families, paid for a storage building, poured a concrete tricycle track, and donated money so the children could each have their own iPad. Brownlee, a longtime Enid accountant and community leader, is a 2014 Oklahoma Mentor of the Year, honored for developing and continuing his Fifth-Grade Mentoring Program for over 25 years. By his own admission, Stan said he never thought he could be with children this young; now he says he believes this is where he will spend the rest of his life.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Christine Smith, principal
PHONE: 580-366-8600
EMAIL: cmsmith@enidk12.org
F.A.I.T.H. (Fathers Are In The House), Inc., is a father figure involvement, educational and safety initiative. The three primary goals for the F.A.I.T.H. program are: 1) to provide positive male role models for students, 2) to show students that education and the students themselves are important, 3) to enhance school security, reduce bullying and establish a safer learning environment. Relationship-building activities include being present at drop-off of the students in the morning and greeting them with a smile and high five, attending the school’s opening ceremony, interacting with the students throughout the day in the classroom environment when volunteers are available and at the teacher’s request. F.A.I.T.H. also fundraises for school supplies for every student in grades Pre-K through 8th grade at Fairview Public Schools, Therapy Swing, and other miscellaneous needs. If time permits, F.A.I.T.H. mentors participate and help with every event or need from benefiting the city library, summer reading program, health and wellness initiatives, family-based events and other community activities. Expansion plans will bring F.A.I.T.H. positive male role model mentoring to middle school.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Primarily school-based and community-based
CONTACT: Timothy Haworth
EMAIL: 4fathersareinthehouse@gmail.com
The PAL+ Mentoring Program with Volunteers for Youth is a community-based mentoring program. Adult volunteers (mentor) are trained and paired with students (mentee). Mentoring options include site-based one-to-one at the school site and group sessions at area recovery groups. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate. The mentor’s purpose is to build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth in the student while building a friendship. TYPE OF PROGRAM: school-based
CONTACT: Cindy Wilson, PAL+ program director
PHONE: 918-343-2530
EMAIL: cindy.w@volunteersforyouth.com
Frederick, as a rural community and school system, has much more innovation and forward momentum worth adapting.
- Big Topics, a voluntary think tank for high school students, explores in detail the events of the modern world and their correlation to past events. Big Topic students meet weekly during lunch. When students actively engage in the conversations, they are awarded points. Students are then awarded scholarships based on their amount of participation. Over $50,000 in scholarships have been presented by 2018.
- Jr. Topics, a middle school critical thinking and leadership program, is facilitated by teachers Tom Hensley and Clint Reid. The Middle School Leadership Program was added after school due to Jr. Topics’ popularity. Frederick Rotary Club provide lunches to the students in Jr. Topics.
- Ryan Ade’s Mentoring Program, led by Ryan Ade, consists of six boys who meet at the Ade house on Sunday nights to learn what it means to be a man.
Additional examples include the involvement of Dr. Robert L. Woods, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Woods skypes into the Bomber robotics program to offer advice on the engineering. Dr. Woods has also been instrumental in supplying the Bomber robotics program with much needed tools, work benches and tool chests. Clint Reid, the art teacher, has taught students to screen t-shirts so that they learn a marketable skill and generate funds for art. Carisa Schreiner, band and choir teacher, has created an award-winning and community-cementing program. Frederick alumni have raised funds for scholarships and other needs. The Frederick Rotary has developed a leadership program for its younger members.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based, community-based
CONTACT: Lance Bohannon, founder and director
PHONE: 580-335-5516
EMAIL: lancebohannon@lancebohannon.com
Glenpool Mentor Match began in 2013 as a pilot with nine Glenpool Public School male administrators who have volunteered their time with 14 fourth and fifth graders. Continuing to expand, the mentoring program has resulted in an ever-increasing circle of community among students, teachers, and mentors. Students look forward to seeing their mentors because they feel special, mentors receive an emotional reward, and everyone wins as adults come into the school regularly. Liz White, the founder, was inspired by two occurrences. The first is the longtime relationship of Liz’s husband, Scott, and his former Big Brother, Dow Hughes. The second was OFE’s Fall Forum 2012, in which Liz attended Fairview Superintendent Rocky Burchfield’s presentation on Mission Mentors and the panel session of administrators who have mentoring at their schools.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Elizabeth White, founder and director
PHONE: 918-706-2259
EMAIL: glenpoolmentormatch@gmail.com
Oklahoma Panhandle State University offers a peer mentoring program for students. Mentors are given scholarships for participating.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Dr. Julie Dinger, vice president for academic and student affairs
PHONE: 580-349-1402
EMAIL: Julie.dinger@opsu.edu
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Goodwell, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
STARBASE Oklahoma is a Department of Defense funded program through the Oklahoma Military Department. The STARBASE 2.0 Afterschool Program volunteer mentors are STEM professionals from Oklahoma military bases, oil, gas, and various aerospace industries in the respective locations of each program. These volunteers give their guidance and expertise to the young people to help complete selected STEM projects for their particular after-school setting. Presently, the local STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0 program is located at Hominy Osage Nation.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
CONTACT: Rita Miller, director, STARBASE Oklahoma
PHONE: 918-833-7757 (Rita Miller)
The PAL+ Mentoring Program with Volunteers for Youth is a community-based mentoring program. Adult volunteers (mentor) are trained and paired with students (mentee). Mentoring options include site-based one-to-one at the school site and group sessions at area recovery groups. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate. The mentor’s purpose is to build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth in the student while building a friendship. TYPE OF PROGRAM: school-based
CONTACT: Cindy Wilson, PAL+ program director
PHONE: 918-343-2530
EMAIL: cindy.w@volunteersforyouth.com
The PAL+ Mentoring Program with Volunteers for Youth is a community-based mentoring program. Adult volunteers (mentor) are trained and paired with students (mentee). Mentoring options include site-based one-to-one at the school site and group sessions at area recovery groups. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate. The mentor’s purpose is to build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth in the student while building a friendship. TYPE OF PROGRAM: school-based
CONTACT: Cindy Wilson, PAL+ program director
PHONE: 918-343-2530
EMAIL: cindy.w@volunteersforyouth.com
The Wildhorse Gang, begun by Gini Zaloudek in 1991 to focus upon “production instead of destruction,” offers pre-school to senior high students opportunities such as learning leadership skills, listening to role models speak, setting and attaining goals, and working on projects, such as recycling of aluminum cans, serving as volunteers at fundraisers and the symphony, and donating to local causes. The Wildhorse Gang also offers an annual $1,500 scholarship to a graduating senior in the group.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, weekly
CONTACT: Gini Zaloudek, founder and director
PHONE: 580-874-2278
EMAIL: wildhorseagency@yahoo.com
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Goodwell, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
Lawton Public Schools’ IGNITION is a peer mentoring program that helps freshmen students transition to high school. Upperclassmen in grades 10th through 12th receive extensive training in leadership and work with freshmen every other week during the school year. The mentors are trained with curriculum from FOCUS training, which encompasses many topics related to success in high school. The mentors discuss ways to succeed in high school by paying attention to attendance and discipline as well as developing a four-year high school plan. In addition to the mentor interactions with the freshmen, the mentors must also plan and execute a community-wide service project to help the hungry in the community. In 2016-17, Eisenhower High School, completing its fifth year with the program, is now completely student led. The mentors plan training, projects and the lessons they share with the freshmen. The advisers are facilitators and monitor the students.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Peer mentoring, high school transition
CONTACT: Michelle Churchwell, Eisenhower High School advisor
PHONE: 580-355-9144
EMAIL: michelle.churchwell@lawtonps.
CONTACT: Kimberly Buckner, Lawton High School advisor
PHONE: 580-355-5170
EMAIL: kbuckner@lawtonps.org
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Goodwell, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Lawton serves as a youth center for children, ages 6-17, who provided with meals, homework assistance, character-building activities, and recreation activities through after school and full-day programs.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, after-school
CONTACT: Amanda Núñez, area director
PHONE: 580-357-7541
STARBASE Oklahoma is a Department of Defense funded program through the Oklahoma Military Department. The STARBASE 2.0 Afterschool Program volunteer mentors are STEM professionals from Oklahoma military bases, oil, gas, and various aerospace industries in the respective locations of each program. These volunteers give their guidance and expertise to the young people to help complete selected STEM projects for their particular afterschool setting. Presently, the local STARBASE Oklahoma 2.0 program is located at Lawton Central Middle School.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
CONTACT: Rita Miller, director, STARBASE Oklahoma
PHONE: (580) 355-8544 (Lawton Central Middle School), 918-833-7757 (Rita Miller)
Young Men in Action (YMIA) and Gentleman of Lawton High School (GoLHS), are a character and leadership development program serving Central Middle School, Lawton High School and its feeder school. YMIA and GoLHS provide opportunities for community service, educational and training programs, particularly for minority – underserved students. Our areas of interest also include programs designed to teach leadership, basic life skills and self-sufficiency; promote good citizenship and public service; and improve reading and math proficiencies. Sponsors are Kenneth Stallworth, Deandre Swanson, and Jeffery Elbert.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based primarily and community-based
CONTACT: Kenneth Stallworth, founder, director and mentor director and mentor and Deandre Swanson, Jeffery Elbert director and mentor (LHS)
PHONE: 580-355-8544 or 580-355-5170
EMAIL: kenneth.stallworth@lawtonps.org, deandre.swanson@lawtonps.org, jeffery.elbert@lawtonps.org
B.I.S.O.N. Mentors, an acronym for Believe in Some One Now, serves Pre-K through 12th-grade students. Leedey is a small community of 437 people in western Oklahoma. The mentor program was created in 2011. Thanks to the support of the community and the mentor volunteers we are currently serving 40 students.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Rusty Puffinbarger
PHONE: 580-705-0088
EMAIL: rpuffinbarger@leedey.k12.ok.us
The Boys & Girls Club of Green County, Locust Grove provides a safe, positive, and fun environment, develops supportive relationships, offers targeted programs for academic success, good character and citizenship, and promotes healthy lifestyles that will have a significant impact on their lives. It has programs in character and leadership programs; health and life skills; sports, fitness and recreation; and specialized programs
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Club-based
CONTACT: Carmen Bell, unit director
PHONE: 918-479-3850
EMAIL: cbell@greencountrybgc.org
The Southwest Oklahoma Juvenile Center is a medium-secure state facility operated by the Office of Juvenile Affairs. The Center houses 60 young men between the ages of 13-19 who have been adjudicated by the courts as juvenile delinquents or youthful offenders. Many young men at the Center come from disadvantaged or chaotic homes and have had little if any positive male role models in their lives Mentors can meet with the young men one night a week from 7-8 p.m. Currently, the Center has 19 mentors with 27 boys involved. Many mentors come as individuals and some participate as group members such as men and women from Kairos Torch Prison Ministry and the Christian Motorcycle Association. In addition to mentors, church groups regularly volunteer to provide Sunday services and faith-based activities and offer support and encouragement to the young men at the facility.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, site-based
CONTACT: Melissa Monson, administrator of programs
PHONE: 580-397-3511
EMAIL: melissa.monson@oja.ok.
The Robert S. Gee Scholarship Program, established in 2004, seeks out students who have shown a high degree of academic ability and potential, but whose socio-economic situation presents barriers to reaching their full potential. Students selected for this program receive extensive mentoring and financial assistance aimed at mitigating or minimizing obstacles to academic and personal excellence. Each Gee Scholar, who can be nominated as early as the spring semester of their seventh-grade year, receives a teacher mentor and two community mentors. Teachers nominate students. Once selected, students remain in the program through graduation from high school, although they must maintain a “B” average in order to take advantage of financial assistance available through the program. Two of several assessments of the program include college admissions and community buy-in. Examples of financial assistance have included band fees, scrubs for Career Tech student nursing program, college enrollment fees, running shoes and tennis bag, private music lessons, Northeastern Oklahoma A & M concurrent class fees, and appropriate school clothing. The Miami Public Schools Enrichment Foundation (MPSEF) maintains the program funds separately.
CONTACT: Ginny Stinson, chairperson, Robert S. Gee Scholarship Committee (MPSEF)
PHONE: 918-541-4923
EMAIL: ginnystinson1@gmail.com
DOD STARBASE Oklahoma, a National Guard Youth Program, is an afterschool, STEM-based, group mentoring program, called Afterschool Mentoring Clubs, for sixth through eighth graders. In 2015-16, Carl Albert Middle School has two clubs with eight Tinker Air Force Base Mentors. In addition to the clubs’ STEM project, Advanced Lego Mindstorms, the mentors and mentees employ goal-setting and team-building skills.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
STARBASE OKLAHOMA CONTACT: Pam Kirk, director
PHONE: 918-833-7757
EMAIL: pamela@starbaseok.org
SCHOOL CONTACT: Tami Sanders
PHONE: 405-739-1761
EMAIL: tsanders@mid-del.net
Rose State College’s Student Support Services (SSS) is a national TRiO program funded by the Department of Education. The goal is to ensure that participants persist in college and earn an associate degree or certificate and/or transfer to a four-year university. Services include transfer assistance, campus visits, academic advisement, workshops, exposure to cultural events, a resource library, educational materials, library orientation, community service referrals, tutoring and academic mentoring.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based
CONTACT: Amber Mitchell, director, student support services
PHONE: 405-733-7379
EMAIL: amitchell@rose.edu
Rose State University’s Critical Learning in Community Knowledge with Tutoring, Enrichment, Advising and Mentoring (CLICK) is designed to increase student success by increasing retention and academic success. Its focus is on improving critical thinking skills, learning strategies, organizational skills, computer literacy, mathematics, reading skills, grammar, writing skills, and student knowledge of available resources both on and off campus. Students may enroll in CLICK as a college credited class, or all are welcome to join the bi-weekly lab sessions where tenured math, reading, and English faculty work one-on-one with students to help them master material and college life. Professors and professional staff members from English, mathematics, reading, educational planning, and academic advisement support CLICK members.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate tutoring and mentoring by faculty and staff
CONTACT: Chris Knox, reading program coordinator
PHONE: 405-733-7386
EMAIL: cknox@rose.edu
READ: Reading Encourages All Dreams is a reading mentorship program that pairs trained high school mentors with elementary first through fourth-grade students who are struggling with reading. These students meet once a week at the local library where they strengthen reading skills. READ has served Muldrow for 14 years; however, the guidelines for READ were shared at several state and national conventions and may have been used in any number of cities nationwide. READ has been a remarkable program for our community. We have parents report that their elementary-age children jump 2-3 letter grades in reading after joining our program. Also, the mentors deal with other issues besides reading. Through positive mentoring, they work on peer pressure, bullying, and other issues with their elementary students. The program has been in existence long enough for some of the elementary participants to grow up and become mentors. It is so thrilling to visit our local library after school and see so many high school and elementary students enjoying reading together.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Kim Henderson, high school librarian
PHONE: 918-427-3274
EMAIL: kim.henderson@staff.muldrowps.org
Alameda Reading Tutoring Program provides one-on-one reading/tutoring/mentoring for Cleveland County elementary students via an enrollment process with mentor availability. Most of the program’s students and mentors reside in Cleveland County, e.g., Norman, Moore, Newcastle, Noble, Lexington, Slaughterville, Little Axe, Purcell, Blanchard and other county towns. With a focus on reading and language arts, mentors and mentees, grades levels K-8th, meet at the Alameda Church of Christ in Norman on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. In 2014-15, 35 mentors are enrolled with substitutes available for mentors who must miss a meeting. Alameda Church of Christ also mentors with the Whiz Kids program at Parmelee Elementary School in Oklahoma City and offers mentees many other fun and helpful events such as Back to School Roundup (B2SR), the Fall Festival and Jingle Jam.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school
CONTACT: Crystal Neill, volunteer coordinator
PHONE: 405-321-0788
EMAIL: crystalneill@ou.edu
Big Brothers Big Sisters Norman as the premier one-to-one youth mentoring organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters provides mentors to Cleveland County youth. Independent research demonstrates that the agency’s model of safely providing professionally supported one-to-one relationships has a direct and measurable impact. Volunteers make this impact through either school-based or community-based mentoring. In just four hours a month, children’s lives, kindergarten through 12th grade, are changed through mentoring.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based or community-based programs, one-to-one
CONTACT: Blossom Crews, area director
PHONE: 405-364-3722
EMAIL: blossom.crews@bbbsok.org
Boys & Girls Club of Norman at the Center for Children and Families (CCFI) provides a safe and caring out-of-school environment for children and youth, ages 6-18, who live in neighborhoods that experience high levels of poverty and crime or in homes that need additional support. Services are designed to provide resource connections for the families and opportunities for improved social skills, self-esteem and child development of the youth. The Club’s after-school, evening, and summer enrichment opportunities include programs for academic success, healthy lifestyles and character and leadership development; recreational activities, positive adult mentoring; and family-oriented events and activities.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school
CONTACT: Lee Brandon, unit director
PHONE: 405-364-1420
EMAIL: lbrandon@ccfinorman.org
Mentors are caring adults who support Bridges students as they navigate through school and make important life decisions. The Bridges of Norman, Inc. Mentoring Program pairs students and mentors based on common interests. Our network of committed community members makes us successful in recruiting people who are trained to guide without judging or parenting. Mentors commit to connecting at least once a week with students for lunch, dinner, an activity or a phone call. They also help Bridges Career Coaches coordinate job shadows for students. Great pairings often result in mentors becoming the first people students call to show off prom dresses, report on the outcome of a school test, or celebrate a new job. Through example mentors have the ability to teach cooking, budgeting and parenting. They become trusted advisors, financial guideposts and moral compasses.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, community-based
CONTACT: Bianca Gordon, director, career coaching
PHONE: 405-579-9280
EMAIL: bgordon@bridgesnorman.org
The Community After School Program (CASP) of Norman provides a safe, supervised before and after school environment for school-age children who would otherwise be left unsupervised while their parents begin or complete their workday. CASP provides before and after school care to more than 700 elementary children in 16 programs in the Norman Public School system. Be Smart is a tutoring program offered to children in CASP. Tutors are paired one-on-one with an elementary student and meet at the school site twice a week for 30 minutes.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Brenda Birdsong, director, child services
PHONE: 405-366-5970
EMAIL: brenda@caspinc.org
Kid’s Hope USA is a national program adopted by First Baptist Church to work with at-risk children at a local elementary school, Lincoln Elementary. Our mentors are members of our church who devote one hour each week with their student, helping to meet the social, emotional, and academic needs at a crucial time in the child’s life.
CONTACT: Angela Atkins, director of community ministries
PHONE: 405-321-1753
EMAILS: angelaa@fbcnorman.org
Loveworks Leadership Inc. is a leadership organization based in Norman, OK. In partnership with key community supporters, Loveworks Afterschool Leadership is a free-of-charge program that focuses on leadership and character development, experiential learning, and community impact. Through interactive lessons, Loveworks’ In-School Leadership Classes teach the fundamentals of character and leadership utilizing media, creative activities, and guest speakers to fully engage student interest and create unforgettable moments. During the school semester, there are Community Impact Events, providing volunteers and students with a variety of opportunities to participate in community enrichment projects and events. Summer Leadership Camps are week-long experiences designed to connect hands-on learning projects tailored to students’ unique interests and make life-skills learning a blast. Loveworks’ programming has developed a large entrepreneurial emphasis to benefit youth long term. From its founding in 2011 to 2019, Loveworks Leadership has impacted over 10,000 students.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, in-school, community impact events, camps
CONTACT: Michael Hirsch, executive director
PHONE: (405) 397-9576
EMAIL: michael@Loveworksleadership.org
Norman High School upper-level Spanish students volunteer to teach Spanish at five local elementary schools that feed into Norman High School. These students, responsible for their own lesson planning and instruction, teach for 30 minutes a week from 8:00-8:30 before their high school classes start. The program began in 2014-15 with 15 mentors and three elementary schools. High school Spanish mentors now participate at Monroe, Lincoln, Madison, Washington and Kennedy elementary schools. Those efforts translate into serving 18 elementary classrooms and approximately 420 fourth- and fifth-grade students. This program has been nominated for the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) 2016 Global Engagement Award.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based, peer mentoring, Spanish-speaking
CONTACT: Darcy Pippins, Spanish teacher, Norman High School
PHONE: 405-366-5812
EMAIL: dpippins@norman.k12.ok.us
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Goodwell, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
Norman Police Department’s Police Athletic/Activities League (PAL) serves seventh and eighth grade students in Norman Public Schools. The purpose of PAL is to foster relationships that will bridge the gaps between law enforcement and youth while also exposing them to future careers in serving their community, while participating in activities. The goal of the program is to motivate young people to be outstanding citizens and to empower them to act as a positive influence in our community. The three-week experience blends classroom learning with hands on activities to expose participants to a variety of topics, including fitness, patrol tactics, criminal investigations, traffic safety, self-defense, firearms safety, internet dangers, and weekly character values.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Summer camp and continuing outreach of school resource officers and volunteers
CONTACT: Officer Ali Jaffery
PHONE: 405-321-1600
EMAIL: ali.jaffery@normanok.
Students in the University of Oklahoma’s College of Arts and Sciences Cathryn L. & Jon R. Withrow Leadership Scholars Alumni Mentoring Program are paired with an alumni or friend of the College of Arts and Sciences for a mentoring relationship. Established by the College of Arts and Sciences Board of Visitors in 1996, the Leadership Scholars program recognizes the brightest and most involved students in the college. Students from the sophomore, junior and senior classes are selected on the basis of grade point average, university or community service and leadership potential. Leadership Scholars meet regularly for service, leadership, and community-building activities. The students often assist the college by serving as hosts during events. Leadership Scholars brings students together from a variety of backgrounds, academic disciplines and experiences for the purpose of expanding their leadership education.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based
CONTACT: Dr. Rhonda Dean Kyncl, assistant dean
PHONE: 405-325-2077
EMAIL: rkyncl@ou.edu
Sooners Stilettos is a professional women’s support group for the University of Oklahoma Women’s Basketball program established by Coach Sherri Coale in 2004. Her goal was to surround her players with professional women who would be role models for them. The Sooner Stilettos has undergone many changes in the last couple of years to make sure the players and members are getting the most out of the organization. Not only are these women professional and personal role models for the student-athletes, but also help our program in gaining a competitive edge on and off the court through their generous donations. The Sooner Stilettos are here to have fun, support the women’s basketball student-athletes and make lasting connections with each other!
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College campus/athletic department-based
CONTACT: Kelsey Reynolds, OU women’s basketball office manager
PHONE: 405-325-8322
EMAIL: kreynolds@ou.edu
The JCPenney Leadership Center, within the Michael F. Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma, has several events and programs focused towards developing organic and natural mentoring relationships. The events that organically connect associates with alumni include but are not limited to regular alumni lunches with associates, the spring Alumni Career Conference that began in 2014, and incorporating alumni in regular leadership and professional activities such as developing emotional intelligence in the workplace and life after college. The Leadership Center Peer Training program, launched in 2013, provides an opportunity for student peer trainers to become curriculum facilitators that design and deliver the new member curriculum, consisting of six foundational leadership and professional development programs. While these peer trainers also serve as informal mentors in guiding the new candidate associates through the new member process regarding program expectations and guidelines, a new internal mentorship program will begin this spring that will further enhance new associate development and the integration process while giving more associates the opportunity to serve in formal mentorship roles.
CONTACT: Breea Clark, J.D., director, JCPenney Leadership Program
PHONE: 405-325-2501
EMAIL: breea@ou.edu
The University of Oklahoma Janine Rainbolt College of Education’s Educational Administration, Curriculum and Supervision (EACS) Program within the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies is an academic unit that serves graduate students interested in K-12 education leadership. Faculty members mentor aspiring school principals, district superintendents, practitioners and researchers. Some doctoral students aspire to work for state departments, nonprofits, think tanks or research organizations which serve K-12 education. Other doctoral students are trained to serve in the faculty member ranks at higher education institutions to research, teach and serve within the field of K-12 education leadership and policy. The EACS Program:
- Provides coursework that includes foundations in theory and research evidence which are directly applied to leadership practice.
- Facilitates projects and internships within schools and districts so that students/mentees gain access to a wider network of effective practicing principals and superintendents.
Advanced graduate students/mentees interested in research and policy are given additional experience with research methods to evolve into academic scholars. This includes experience writing for publication and giving local, national and international presentations. These same mentees network with policymakers, national and international organizations, which house education decision makers and leading academic scholars. EACS offers advanced graduate students research assistantship positions in which they work closely with a faculty member to collaborate on their research agenda and provide extensive networking opportunities to meet professional goals. The Janine Rainbolt College of Education also recognizes an outstanding faculty mentor in this program with the Patricia L. Hardré Graduate Mentoring Award.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate, faculty mentoring of graduate students
CONTACT: Dr. John Jones
PHONE: 405-325-4202
EMAIL: jrjones@ou.edu
The University of Oklahoma Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education Graduate Student Advising is a faculty mentoring program for graduate students. All graduate students are assigned a faculty member as their initial advisor. Once the students learn more about the program and the expertise of each faculty member, they select their mentor, or chair, of their committee. Since 2009, the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education Graduate Student Advising’s goals have been to get to know students’ interests, talents and career objectives and to have faculty help them succeed. Many of the doctoral students, for example, want to teach in a university setting so the faculty mentors help them develop a portfolio of accomplishments in service, teaching and research before they graduate. In the 2015 graduating class, on average, Ph.D. students had already published more than three articles and presented papers at a minimum of six conferences, and a few had books published. In 2015-16, approximately 800 graduate students were enrolled in the Jeannine Rainbolt College of Education, 500 in the master’s program and 300 in the doctoral program. The personal, highly interactive relationship between faculty mentors and student mentees includes regularly meeting with mentees, inviting them to college-sponsored events and opportunities including wine and cheese tastings, a speaker series, informal conversations with snacks or coffee, and an annual Diversity Scholar’s Event among others. The close faculty/student interactions offer the students chances to engage in original research, publications and presentations as a matter-of-course. The Janine Rainbolt College of Education also recognizes an outstanding faculty mentor in this program with the Jon E. Pedersen Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate, faculty mentoring of graduate students
CONTACT: Mike Jenkins, senior graduate programs support specialist
PHONE: 405.325.4525
EMAIL: mjenkins@ou.edu
As part of the Chevron Phillips Scholar-Mentor Program, upperclassmen in the College of Engineering, School of Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering at the University of Oklahoma serve as mentors or tutors to students enrolled in sophomore courses. The program enhances leadership, technical and communication skills by leading younger peers, and provides personal and professional development through connections and acquaintances.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Madena McGinnis, coordinator, undergraduate programs and scholarships
PHONE: 405-325-4393
EMAIL: mmcginnis@ou.edu
The OU Cousins program, created in 1996, matches an international or exchange student with one or two American students and invites them to participate in one or two monthly programs either free or of minimal charge. Students, who are matched according to hobbies, majors, and countries of special interest, are also encouraged to get together outside of official Cousins events. The goal of the program is to develop understanding, friendship, and unity among U.S., international and exchange students at the University of Oklahoma.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College and community-based
PHONE: 405-325-3163
EMAIL: oucousins@ou.edu
The University of Oklahoma’s William M. Majors Energy Management Mentoring Program matches junior and senior students with energy executives in the Oklahoma City area. Mentors and mentees meet once a month for lunch and a special guest speaker at the Oklahoma City Petroleum Club. The group also has a social once a semester. Funding is provided by the OCAPL (Oklahoma City Association of Professional Landmen) and the OERB (Oklahoma Energy Resources Board). Both mentors and mentees must apply for this prestigious program, which falls under the auspices of the Robert M. Zinke Energy Management Program.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate
CONTACT: Mike McConnell, director, energy management program
PHONE: 405-325-0758
EMAIL: mmconnell@ou.edu
The Dean’s Leadership Council, (DLC), Gallogly College of Engineering, The University of Oklahoma, is an organization dedicated to the success and retention of first-year engineering students. DLC members are selected through an application process and are chosen for their consists of students with excellent academic credentials, engagement in leadership, and strong communication skills. They serve as positive, enthusiastic mentors to freshmen and transfer engineering students by sharing knowledge and skills gained through their college experience. Each mentor receives a stipend for their contributions to the Gallogly College of Engineering and University community.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Amber Williams, assistant to the associate dean
PHONE: 405-325-2621
EMAIL: awilliams@ou.edu
The University of Oklahoma’s Jerry Holmes Leadership Program for Engineers & Scientists serves the Gallogly College of Engineering and the Mewbourne College of Earth & Energy undergraduate and graduate students with professional and leadership development through mentoring, workshops, curriculum, networking with practicing engineers, professional issues, life skills, guest lectures, corporate visits, service opportunities and other enhancements.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Professionals to college students
CONTACT: Kim Graves Wolfinbarger, Ph.D., director
PHONE: 405-325-3721
EMAIL: kimw@ou.edu
The University of Oklahoma Honors College Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program aims to encourage incoming honors freshmen to get involved in the university community, to help them find a sense of belonging, and to give them positive role models. It also aims to integrate them into academic culture and to make them aware of the attitudes and opportunities that tend to make honors students successful. To those ends, it pairs upperclassmen mentors in the OU Honors College with two incoming freshmen each. The mentors meet with their two freshmen mentees every two weeks, becoming friends with them and helping them to find their footing during their first year as undergraduates. In the 2019-20 academic year, 55 mentors will serve a predicted 110 freshmen.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Lisa Tucker, director, external and alumni relations
PHONE: 405-325-9088
EMAIL: honorsmentorship@gmail.com
The University of Oklahoma’s Honors College launched its Student-to-Professional Mentoring Experience (STPMX) in Spring 2015 with 65 Oklahoma City-area professionals as mentors. Alumni, corporate and nonprofit business leaders provide a professional exchange of information and networking opportunities for top-ranked Honors College students whereby the undergraduates will establish vital contacts and gain indispensable insight to career placement as they transition from student to professional in highly competitive specialized job markets. Partnering professionals share their skills, knowledge and best practices on how to build a successful career in their chosen field. Leading professionals, corporations and metro area-based businesses host a series of receptions and dinners for up to 20 Honors College students per event. The OU Honors College aims to provide two Student-To-Professional Mentoring Experience opportunities during the Spring and Fall semesters. Current partnering professionals represent law, banking and finance, medicine and healthcare, urban development and city planning, and not-for-profit businesses. Up to 80 OU Honors College undergrads participate per year.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Professionals to college students
CONTACT: Lisa Tucker, director, external and alumni relations
PHONE: 405-325-9088
EMAIL: ljtucker@ou.edu
The Division of Management & International Business Board of Advisers Mentoring Program in the University of Oklahoma Price College of Business is designed to help Division of Management & International Business majors make the transition from school to work. Students are paired with local executives to help them develop as professionals and prepare themselves to add value in the workplace from day one. Mentees are sophomores, juniors and seniors who have been admitted to Price College and have declared one of the Division of Management & International Business majors.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Professionals to college students
CONTACT: Mark Sharfman, Ph.D.
PHONE: 405-325-5689
EMAIL: msharfman@ou.edu
Boys and Girls Club of Nowata, works with youth to develop the qualities needed to become responsible citizens and leaders through a broad range of programs in five core program areas: Character & Leadership Development, Education & Career Development, Health & Life Skills, The Arts, and Sports, Fitness & Recreation. This Native American/Traditional Club, serving over 600 youth members ages five-18, is the only youth advocacy after-school program in the county. Its mentoring program serves 100 participants, and it has a waiting list.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school
CONTACT: Shae Wyckoff, program director
PHONE: 918-273-1007
EMAIL: swyckoff@bgclubnowata.org
American Fidelity Assurance Company’s Buchanan Elementary Partnership provides mentoring/tutoring once a week for 30 minutes. Most of the mentored students are second grade or older. Other American Fidelity employees read to the younger students but not every week. In 2019-20, Buchanan has asked mentors to tutor first-grade students.
TYPE: School-based
CONTACT: Lisa Burchfield, senior communications specialist
PHONE: 405-523-5977
EMAIL: lisa.burchfield@americanfidelity.com
In 2011, the [Artspace] at Untitled initiated a [Press] Mentorship Program to work with a small group of high school students who have limited exposure to art but want the opportunity to learn more about printmaking and the book arts. This intensive mentoring extends over a three-year period with monthly visits to the studio. The [Press] at [Artspace] at Untitled facility provides the equipment needed to teach etching, lithography, serigraphy, calligraphy, relief, bookmaking, and bookbinding. Staff and mentors teach students how to write about their work, build portfolios, and create presentations that can be used to apply for university scholarships and grants. This process supports youth through building critical communication, social skills, and positive relationships with peers and adults. As of Fall 2017, ten schools have mentorship programs. Other programming includes the Mission Academy, which focuses upon youths in recovery, and summer programs. In addition, [Artspace] at Untitled also collaborates with public school art programs.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Art
CONTACT: Alexa Healey, education and print studio director
PHONE: 405-815-9995
EMAIL: artspace@1ne3.org, press@1ne3.org
Big Brothers Big Sisters Oklahoma City is the premier one-to-one youth mentoring organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters provides mentors to Norman area youth. Independent research demonstrates that the agency’s model of safely providing professionally supported one-to-one relationships has a direct and measurable impact. Volunteers make this impact through either school-based or community-based mentoring. In just four hours a month, children’s lives, kindergarten through 12th grade, are changed through mentoring.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based or community-based programs, one-to-one
CONTACT: Jon Cunningham, OKC area director
PHONE: 405-943-8075
EMAIL: jon.cunningham@bbbsok.org
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County offers tutoring, mentoring, recreational activities and more to children ages 6-18. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. To be eligible, a child must be a member of the Boys and Girls Club and attend the club on a consistent basis. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County are safe places to learn and grow — all while having fun. Innovatively, in fall 2015, the club staff began the Alternative to Suspension Program, in which selected students who have been suspended from school come to the club for 10 days, where trained staff teaches the students tools that can help them return to school. The Boys & Girls Club at Memorial Park is the original club.
CONTACT: Mercedes Miller, volunteer services
PHONE: 405-521-9292
EMAIL: mmiller@bgcokc.org
Additional Boys & Girls Club School Sites: Each location shares the school’s facility.
Santa Fe South Elementary School
Cesar Chavez Elementary School
Adelaide Lee Elementary School
Capitol Hill Middle School
Steed Elementary School
Boy Scouts of America, Last Frontier Council The Boy Scouts of America was founded in 1910 and chartered by the United States Congress to work in cooperation with other agencies to provide a character education program to America’s youth. Over 300 local councils, like the Last Frontier Council, assist local community organizations in providing the program of the Boy Scouts of America. Last Frontier Council is more than 12,000 youth and more than 4,000 volunteer Scouters and adults enjoying and delivering the promise of Scouting in twenty-four counties across central, western, and southwestern Oklahoma! Scouting offers programs for boys and girls ages 7 to 20. Cub Scouts for first through fifth grade offers fun with friends and family. Scouts VSA for ages 11 to 17 focuses upon outdoor activities and leadership opportunities. Venturing for ages 14 to 20 offers high adventure activities. Exploring for ages 14 to 20 allows career exploration. Sea Scouts for ages 14 to 20 emphasizes sailing and boating. Select your age group, and find a program just for you:
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Groups such as dens and packs
PHONE: 405-840-1114
EMAIL: last.frontiercouncil@scouting.org
The Britton Christian Church’s BCC Learning Center was designed with the intention of partnering with parents to meet their child’s educational needs. This is a faith-based after-school tutoring/mentoring ministry for elementary, middle school, and high school children in grades one through 12. Each child is paired with a tutor/mentor to help build relationships and trust between the tutor and child in order to enable tutors better to understand and meet the child’s educational needs. The focus of this ministry is to empower kids and communities through education for an eternal reward. BCC Learning Center serves youth from northwest, northeast, and south Oklahoma City as well as Edmond.
CONTACT: Tre’ Clark, community and education pastor
PHONE: 405-848-2046
EMAIL: tre@brittonchurch.com
Camp Fire Heart of Oklahoma teaches youth life skills by training them in leadership, communication, and team-building skills. Youth ages 11 through 15 can participate in Counselor Aide Training, Camp DaKaNi’s summer teen leadership program. As a Counselor Aide, youth will work with younger campers, lead games, and assist at camp activities throughout the week. Individuals 16 years and older can participate as a volunteer camp counselor. Teens ages 11-17 can participate in the Rugged Outdoor Challenge Club that meets every other week at Camp DaKaNi and takes quarterly camping trips around the state. Outdoor School offers a hands-on, science-based program for Pre-K through 8th grade students and soft-skilled learning programs for elementary school and middle-school aged boys and girls. Through the rock wall and ropes courses, staff provides team building activities for schools. Youth ages 3 through 18 can participate in local Camp Fire Clubs. Camp DaKaNi serves youth ages 5 to 15 by teaching creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication skills in the hands-on, screen free setting of day and overnight camps. Camp CANOE (Children with Autism Need Outdoor Experiences) is a day camp where youth grades K-12 can gain independence and leadership in an environment designed specifically for children with autism. Camp Fire After School programs partner with local schools to bring activities that teach students communication and problem-solving in an environment that encourages innovation.
Clubs/After-School Contact: Nicole Huskey, director of after school and clubs
PHONE: 405-254-2077
EMAIL: nicole@campfirehok.org
Teen Leadership Contact: Darla Kilhoffer, teen programs engagement coordinator
PHONE: 405-254-2070
EMAIL: darla@campfirehok.org
Camp & Programs CONTACT: Penn Henthorn, program director and Camp DaKaNi director
PHONE: 405-254-2067
EMAIL: penn@campfirehok.org
Camp HOPE America, Palomar, a program of Palomar, Oklahoma City Family Justice Center, affiliate of Camp Hope America, is the first evidence-based camping and mentoring program for children exposed to trauma in the United States. The goal is to give children and teens their childhood back and help them find a Pathway to HOPE. Camp Hope America’s vision is to break the generational cycle of family violence by offering healing and hope to children and adults who have witnessed and been impacted by family violence. Launched in 2016, Camp Hope uses fun-filled avenues to bring HOPE into the lives of its campers. At camp counselors and mentors discuss important life lessons such as: forgiveness, our future is brighter than our past and that we all need each other. Daily kids learn about heroes who had overcome difficult times and chosen to do good things with their lives, despite their hardship. Children are challenged with trust exercises, team building, rock climbing, mindfulness and empowered with character trait awards. By utilizing meaningful activities, we create an environment where kids feel safe, seen, encouraged, and loved. Mentors are college students, members of law enforcement, and those working with youths with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Site-based
CONTACT: Kellen Mack, program director
PHONE: 405-552-1006
EMAIL: kellen.mack@okc.gov
In 2008, Prescott, a mentor in the OKC Warriors Mentoring Program, launched the Canaries Running Team, a free running team offered to girls, ages eight and up, in the South Oklahoma City area. The team attends OKC Warriors mentoring every Monday, meet twice per week for running practice, and competes in monthly races. Everything about the Canaries is teaching the girls and boys their extraordinary value; even our team name lends itself to an opportunity to speak this truth into the youths’ lives. The team became coed in spring 2013. The message is “What’s the price of a pet canary? Some loose change, right? And God cares what happens to it even more than you do. He pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail – even numbering the hairs on your head! So don’t be intimidated by all this bully talk. You’re worth more than a million canaries.” Matthew 10:29-31. This is one of several programs sponsored by Inner City Church, south Oklahoma City.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, faith-based
CONTACT: Abby Prescott, founder, director and running coach
FACEBOOK: @CanariesRunningTeam
Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board (COWIB) has both adult and youth WIOA funded programs in Canadian, Cleveland, Hughes, Lincoln, Logan, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie, and Seminole Counties. The youth program provides programs and services that ensure youth acquire the education, skill, work experience and support they will need to reach their full potential and successfully transition to productive adulthood. Individuals 16-24 with one or more of the following barriers may benefit from our program: Pregnant/Parenting, Foster Youth, Justice System, Homeless/Runaway, Individual with a Disability, Low Income and Basic Skills Deficient, or English as a second language.
TYPE: Community-based, career/workforce oriented
CONTACT: Yolanda Alexander Scott, youth services program manager
PHONE: 405-622-2026 ext. 301
EMAIL: yolandascott@cowib.org
Chesapeake Energy’s Mentoring Program was created in 1995 as one of the company’s first volunteer programs. Each week, Oklahoma City Chesapeake mentors volunteer up to an hour at one of two inner-city schools (Harding Charter Preparatory High School and Martin Luther King Elementary). Since the program began, Chesapeake employees have impacted the lives of thousands of children. The results have improved reading scores, decreased drop-out rates, and created positive relationships between students and volunteers, and encouraged support for other events to support the schools in a number of ways, including donating school supplies, warm coats for winter and toy drives for the holidays. The selfless spirit of “giving back” from thousands of Chesapeake mentors over the years has made the Chesapeake Mentoring Program a significant corporate mentoring program in the state of Oklahoma.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Rachel Hudgens Gunnoe, social responsibility representative and mentoring director
PHONE: 405-935-3645
EMAIL: rachel.gunnoe@chk.com
CityCare’s Whiz Kids creatively addresses the inner-city social and educational crisis by matching tutor/mentors with at-risk students in the Oklahoma City, Crutcho, Crooked Oak and Putnam City school districts. Teachers select students to participate in Whiz Kids because they are reading below their grade level and can benefit from a mentoring relationship. Tutors are paired with a child and meet weekly during the school year for a one-on-one after school tutoring session. Whiz Kids sites are churches in each school’s community that donate their facility and provide tutors and an on-site coordinator. These urban churches are partnered with suburban churches to bring the resource of people back to the inner city. Each Whiz Kids session includes one hour for one-on-one tutoring, 10 minutes for snack time and 20 minutes for “Club Time” (a group session that addresses character issues with biblical principles).
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Faith-based
CONTACT: Amy Bruce, communication and development manager
PHONE: 405-602-2815
EMAIL: amy@whizkidsok.org
Community Advance is a nonprofit organization begun by Northwest Baptist Church to expand its mission to advance the life-skills of underprivileged and underperforming individuals and families in its Northwest Classen Learning Community Consortium of schools, including Northwest Classen High, Taft Middle and six elementary schools comprising a total of approximately 4,500 students. The goal is to expand the summer and after-school program, The CLUB, into all-year resources eventually extending through high school and into postsecondary in addition to providing a learning center and computer training laboratory. THE CLUB programming for Taft students includes snacks, life skills, goalsetting, career exploration, dinner, and options, e.g., drum line, fashion design, scriptwriting and filming, recording a song and others. Mentors vary in age from high school seniors to one 85-year-old.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, after-school
CONTACT: Natalie Duncan, program director
PHONE: 405-595-2745
EMAIL: natalie.duncan@communityadvance.org
Oklahoma City Community College’s national award-winning Students Connecting with Mentors for Success (SCMS), inaugurated in 2015 by Bryon A. Dickens at the request of OCCC President Jerry Steward, is a program designed originally to provide African-American male students with mentors and intra-campus resources to facilitate successful academic achievement, higher retention rates, and graduation completion. Students are prepared to continue their education at a four-year institution. The SCMS program focuses on connecting students with professionals in their area of interest who offer support, guidance, and engagement according to each student’s need. The data and mentee comments have been so remarkable that in 2018-19 the program expanded to include African American women and Hispanic men and women.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Professional to college students
SCHOOL CONTACT: Bryon A. Dickens, SCMS director
PHONE: 405-682-1611, ext. 7753
EMAIL: bdickens@occc.edu
FaithWorks of the Inner City offers Tuesday Specials and Thursday Tutoring-Mentoring. Tuesday Specials features a variety of small group activities from karate, art and cooking to dance and guitar. Thursday Tutoring-Mentoring, one-on-one, emphasizes reading, math and homework. Eighty-one hundred Pre-K-12th grade mentees also receive a meal each day. In the summer of 2012, teens mentored younger children by developing a reading and activity program around the theme “Time Machine.” Additional programs include Mommy and Me Class (for three-year-old children and their mothers), ESL, Teen Impact, a housing program, The Word on Wednesday, and special events such as the back-to-school bash. FaithWorks of the Inner City serves southeast Oklahoma City in the Shidler-Wheeler area.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, faith-based
CONTACT: Megan Slemp, coordinator
PHONE: 405-601-7600
EMAIL: megan@faithworksokc.com
The Family Awareness and Community Teamwork (F.A.C.T.) is a program of the Oklahoma City Police Department. Its mission is to positively impact inner-city youth who are at-risk to participate in delinquent or gang-related activities. Through positive police contact and community partnerships F.A.C.T.’s purpose is to help alter the youth’s perspective on life, their academic future and potential for success. Through mentoring, character-building, and family/youth discussions, F.A.C.T. offers options for change. F.A.C.T offers several programs ranging from a Juvenile Intervention Programs to a Youth Leaderships Academy. The program has two Oklahoma City locations: NE F.A.C.T. Center at 1220 NE 33rd Street and Hathaway F.A.C.T. Center at 3916 S. Lindsay.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based
CONTACT: Taylor Wood, F.A.C.T supervisor
PHONE: 405-694-9603
EMAIL: taylor.roberts@okc.gov
Harding Charter Preparatory High School Preparatory Senior Capstone Mentorship Program is an opportunity for seniors to experience firsthand a career in which they are interested. They start by doing a brief research paper on a career at the end of the fall semester. Then they start looking for someone not related to them who would be willing to let them shadow for 28 hours. These hours should occur between the Tuesday after Presidents Day and the end of the second week in April. Seniors are released from school the last hour of the school day Monday through Thursday to go to their mentors, but they do not have to do the mentorship after school. The program accommodates the mentor’s schedule as much as possible. Many do their mentorships over spring break. Mentors and students sign a contract committing to their roles, and students keep a log of each visit. Students discuss their mentorships in their Senior Capstone classes on Friday afternoons. At the end of the seven-week program, students present what they learned to their classmates and teacher, and again at our Mentorship Showcase, an evening event to which mentors and parents are invited. All seniors participate. In 2018 that was 109. Harding is always looking for professionals to be mentors. Medical and engineering professionals are the hardest to find. Harding as a charter school serves a variety of students even as far away as Shawnee. Harding as a charter school provides a college prep curriculum to a diverse student body.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Kate Martin Ferguson, college advisor
PHONE: 405-606-8742
EMAIL: kferguson@hardingcharterprep.org
In The Gap, a faith-based organization headquartered in Oklahoma City, mentors children from Pre-K through 4th grade through character education in schools and after-school Bible Clubs. The purpose of IN THE GAP’S Community Programming is lay a foundation of truth for the next generation. By facilitating the various programs, our goal is to connect compassionate youth and adults, both locally and abroad, with children and their families in order to help them succeed in life: physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. The international organization, founded in 2010, specializes in character coaching, teacher training, leadership development, and hands-on community impact and enrichment.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-base, community-based
CONTACT: Darcie Isit, community program director
PHONE: 405-748-0712
EMAIL: disitt@inthegap.org
INTEGRIS Health joined forces with the Oklahoma City Public School System in 1992 to launch the INTEGRIS Positive Directions Mentoring Program. During the 2011/2012 school year, more than 380 mentors participated, donating over 6,400 hours of mentoring time. In Oklahoma City, INTEGRIS provides mentors to Fillmore Elementary and Stanley Hupfeld Academy at Western Village Charter School. The mission of Positive Directions is to provide the educational support necessary to enhance the learning experience of at-risk students. Our goals and objectives are to build self-esteem, provide positive role models, provide assistance in overcoming negative behaviors, and improve classroom participation and academic success of children. Our mentors spend one-hour-per week, during the school day, with their assigned students throughout the school year. Our returning mentors continue to work with their student from the previous year in order to provide the continuity these students desperately need. In November 2019, Stanley Hupfeld Acacademy at Western Village had 234 mentors and needed to recruit about 40 more so each child would have a mentor.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Corporate-sponsored, school-based
CONTACT: Tobi Campbell, director, Stanley Hupfeld Academy at Western Village Charter School
PHONE: 405-717-9831
EMAIL: tobi.campbell@integrisok.com
Junior Achievement of Oklahoma, Inc. offers volunteer-delivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs fostering work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and uses experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and reach their potential. Junior Achievement provides programs in 24 counties and 67 districts for students K-12. JA is on track to reach its goal over 62,000 students served in 2019-2020. Group mentoring in classrooms and experiential learning opportunities include JA BizTown Learning Center in Tulsa, one of 30 in the United States; JA Job Shadow; and JA Investor Challenge. Businesses provide volunteers.
CONTACT: Jo Wise, regional director, OKC
PHONE: 405-300-1023
EMAIL: jwise@jaok.org
Latino Clubs 4-H Mentoring, sponsored by the Latino Community Development Agency (LCDA), is a prevention program designed to enhance the developmental assets of youth ages 8-17. The goals are to improve academic performance, social competency and strengthening family bonds. Activities aim to encourage students to stay in school, graduate, and to stay free of alcohol, drugs and gangs. Students are exposed to leadership opportunities and are responsible for organizing and implementing community service and fellowship activities. They are also exposed to professional and higher educational opportunities to encourage and promote higher aspirations. The Latino 4-H club meets in different Oklahoma Public Schools and at LCDA. Members participate in educational and creative activities alongside their adult mentors. Mentoring is provided in a group environment, with one mentor serving up to 5 youths.
CONTACT: Daniela Chavez, extension program assistant, 4-H Mentoring
PHONE: 405-236-0701 Ext. 122
EMAIL: lcdaclub@latinoagencyokc.org
Through Life Launch, a program of Stand in the Gap Ministries, teams of mentors invest in the lives of young adults from hard places, including youth aging out of foster care. Supported “wherever they are,” young adults receive encouragement towards independence and self-sufficiency. After a trauma-informed training process, a team of 2-4 mentors commits to meet with their mentee for 3-8 hours each month over one year. Mentors work to build trust with the young adult, support them as they set and work towards goals, and connect them to needed resources. After the initial year is completed and the team graduates from the program, the mentors are encouraged to continue meeting and stay in contact with their mentee.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, team mentoring
CONTACT: Becky Corbin, Life Launch program manager, OKC
PHONE: 918-949-8489
EMAIL: bcorbin@sitgm.org
CONTACT: TJ Warren, Life Launch program manager and and Alicia Keachley, Tulsa
PHONE: 918-585-6112, 918-704-5409 (Alicia Keachley)
EMAIL: tj@sitgm.org, alicik@sitgm.org
Lilies & Reeds Society provides incentives to help students achieve better attendance and improve grades in school. We help get and keep students on a healthy path to build and successfully reach short-and long-term goals regarding relationships, school, career, and personal life. Lilies & Reeds Society Teen Parent Mentoring Program of Oklahoma uses adult volunteers to commit to supporting, guiding, and being a friend to a young person for a period of at least one year. Our mission is to lower teen pregnancy statistics by filling students with wisdom through mentoring, volunteer work and fun-filled activities that will encourage them to mentor other young students. Our target groups are at-risk youth in 5th-12th grades primarily in alternative and secondary schools.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Latasha Howell, founder and CEO
PHONE: 405-805-6062
EMAIL: liliesandreeds@gmail.com
The Mentoring Project (@TMProject) regularly operates nationally faith-based mentor training and has hands-on mentor sites in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. TMP also conducts faith-based trainings across North America, rotating through different communities. The Oklahoma City program works with local Mentor Link organizations and churches to introduce new mentors to their mentees. OKC metro area mentors are invited to attend monthly OKC Mentor Moments. See the website to view the calendar of events and resources related to building a sustainable mentoring effort in your community.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Faith-based, mentor training
CONTACT: Bruce Doane
PHONE: 405-239-0540
EMAIL: advocate@thementoringproject.org
Novo Ministries partners with churches, non-profits, and individuals to provide mentoring relationships and programs specifically for children and youth living in at-risk communities. As a faith-based, non-denominational non-profit, Novo has been breaking the cycle of destruction, creating hope, and instilling a sense of purpose through life-changing mentoring relationships since 2005. We provide a streamlined and supportive experience for our partners that allows them to focus on their own locally managed mentorship programs. We support them with whatever needs they have with trainings, curriculum and activities, staff and volunteer support, and many other resources. Novo means change and our goal is to see communities restored, statistics reversed, and lives forever changed.
CONTACT: Doug Eckert, executive operations manager
PHONE: 405-208-4255
EMAIL: doug@novoministries.org
OKC Dream Center uses sports, individual mentoring, and summer and afterschool programs to build relationships between positive mentors and at-risk youth. The NOURISH afterschool program on Monday through Thursday from 4-6 p.m., gives students the opportunity to work on reading, schoolwork, character development and positive activities. NOURISH participants, open to students from 0-18 years of age, eat dinner at 5. The OKC Dream Center also has an emergency food pantry, which dispenses enough food for two to three meals from 10-2 p.m. The emergency pantry dispenses enough for 2-3 meals. Once a month on the fourth Saturday, called Super Saturday, food is dispensed for a whole month. OKC Dream Center also gives clothing to needy families among other services. An original program of Inner City Church, OKC Dream Center exists to reach, rescue, and restore people in poverty.
CONTACT: Tasha Clark, community resource program director
PHONE: 405-634-2615 x104
EMAIL: tasha@dcokc.org
The Oklahoma Lawyers for Children Mentoring Program connects Oklahoma County teens in foster care with caring, responsible adults who will help teach practical life skills necessary for a thriving adulthood. Many teenagers in foster care do not pick up life skills many young adults take for granted – things like opening a bank account, creating a resume, et cetera. The mentoring curriculum instructs mentees in skills related to career development, health and nutrition, academics, family and consumer science, and other areas – all the while developing a meaningful relationship with their mentor. Mentors must undergo a Department of Human Services background check and are asked to make at least a 1-year commitment, meeting for about 8 hours per month one-on-one. Group events are also scheduled.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, after-school
CONTACT: Britni Cobb, volunteer coordinator
PHONE: 405-759-6362 x104
EMAIL: bcobb@olfc.org
The Oklahoma City Police Athletic League (OKC PAL) exists in partnership with the Oklahoma City Police Department to serve students and schools in Oklahoma City. PAL provides athletic programs, leadership skills training, and service opportunities to the students and schools involved in our programs. The majority of PAL programs happen at local schools. Four full-time police officers run the programs in designated OKCPS schools during school hours. In addition to that, the PAL Center offers afterschool mentoring and martial arts programs, as well as our elementary athletic leagues, which take place after school and on weekends during their respective seasons. Any high school student in our program is considered a peer mentor, and all OKC PAL involvement will be considered as service hours. We aim to drive change by providing positive opportunities for our youth and their future. We are all about Cops Helping Kids Succeed!
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based, after-school
CONTACT: Peter Evans, executive director and Evan Alexander, mentoring coordinator
PHONE: 405-632-2240
EMAIL: OKCPAL@okcpal.org
At Positive Tomorrows, mentors commit to one hour per week for the entire school year to help a kindergarten through sixth-grade student develop academic and social skills. Each mentor is paired up with one student and works on academic lessons while providing some much-needed consistency for a child. For this semester, mentors may come Tuesdays or Fridays between 1:00 -3:00 p.m. Positive Tomorrows is the only private elementary school in Oklahoma specifically serving students and families experiencing homelessness. They can enroll up to 74 students, Pre-K through 6th grade and serve over 100 students per year.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Jordan Michela, volunteer coordinator
PHONE: 405-556-5082
EMAIL: jmichela@positivetomorrows.org
Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Oklahoma City serves as a youth center for children, ages six-17, who are provided with meals, homework assistance, character-building activities and recreation activities through after-school and full-day programs.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, after-school
CONTACT: Joshua Huling, director
PHONE: 405-677-4781
EMAIL: Joshua.Huling@uss.
SandRidge Energy employees are reading coaches for Reading Explorers at Edwards Elementary School. Utilizing the Accelerated Reading program, mentors chart results for their two mentees each week. SandRidge partners with Public Strategies and the It’s My Community Initiative to focus upon northeast Oklahoma City schools.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Ashley Swan, communications and community outreach director
PHONE: 405-429-5500
Soncatchers Mentoring, a 501 (c) (3) Christian faith-based mentoring organization, is open to boys of all faiths who are from absent-father homes. Through father-son type experiences such as hiking, going to athletic events, watching and discussing movies, fishing, playing catch, and serving side-by-side in community projects, the Soncatchers Mentors provide positive growth toward manhood. Fun activities also include rocketry, rock climbing, kayaking and more. The format is for Mr. Shaw and the mentors to partner with existing organizations to offer their skills. Based in Edmond, Soncatchers serve boys from the Oklahoma City area. Past examples include offering archery and life skills as well as how adult men function at Lighthouse School, the Bethel Foundation, and Trail Life USA group programs.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school
CONTACT: Joey Shaw, founder and director
PHONE: 405-308-3128
EMAIL: joeyshaw@soncatchers.net
The SONIC Tutor Tot Program is a partnership between the SONIC Oklahoma City Support Center and Wilson Arts Integration School. The partnership encourages SONIC employees to spend one-hour per week tutoring students at Wilson Elementary in various disciplines including reading comprehension, arithmetic, and literacy. Time spent tutoring is considered compensable time for SONIC employees further incentivizing the program and reinforcing the partnership. In addition to tutoring, SONIC sponsors an annual holiday party for the students held on the school campus as well as a spring celebration luncheon on-site at the Oklahoma City Support Center.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Corporate-sponsored, school-based
CONTACT: Kimberly Cope, manager of community affairs and archives
PHONE: 405-225-5754
EMAIL: kimberly.cope@sonicdrivein.com
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church’s Studio 222 offers a free arts-based program for middle school youth where professional artists from the community are hired to teach all types of visual and performing arts. The program also offers life skills and leadership training. Volunteers are available to the youth during the program that runs Monday-Thursday during the school year. Studio Lifetime is for high school and college age youth who attended during middle school. This program offers a weekly time of fellowship, fun and life skills. Students in this program are paired with mentors for guidance, encouragement and support. A Network Resource Guide is being prepared for this group as a way for members of the community to offer services to students.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, middle school through postsecondary
CONTACT: Julie Robinson, executive director of Studio 222
PHONE: 405-609-1009
EMAIL: jrobinson@stlukesokc.org
DOD STARBASE 2.0, a National Guard Youth Program, is an afterschool, STEM-based, group mentoring program, called Afterschool Mentoring Clubs, for sixth through eighth graders. In 2015-16, A.S.T.E.C. Charter School has one Tinker Air Force Base mentor, one retired Tinker Air Force Base mentor, and five A.S.T.E.C. teacher-mentors. In addition to the club’s STEM project, PowerHouse Alternative Energy Construction, the mentors and mentees employ goal-setting and team-building skills.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
STARBASE OKLAHOMA CONTACT: Rita Miller, director
PHONE: 405-947-6274 (A.S.T.E.C.), 918-833-7757 (Kirk’s number)
EMAIL: rmille@starbaseok.org
The mentoring program at TEEM (The Education & Employment Ministry) exists to break cycles of incarceration through building meaningful, life-giving relationships. Mentoring relationships are important to provide accountability, a sense of community, support, and encouragement for TEEM participants in the process of reentering our community. Mentees vary in age from 18-70. TEEM prefers a mentor that is older than the participants. TEEM serves Oklahoma City and the surrounding area.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Re-entry
CONTACT: Emma Morris, mentor coordinator
PHONE: 405-235-5671
EMAIL: emorris@teem.org
Y Achievers, a program of the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, is a college readiness and career exploration program designed to help underserved, first-generation college-bound and minority teens to achieve higher education. The program operates during the school year. The programs mentioned below are currently offered in the following OKC high schools: Douglass, John Marshall, Northwest Classen, and U.S. Grant. The four programs are:
- The Y Achievers Freshman College Readiness
- Y Achievers Sophomore Leadership Summit
- Y Achievers Junior Career Exploration
- Y Achievers Senior University 101
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, school-based
CONTACT: Whitney Chandler, Association Director of Teen Leadership Initiatives
PHONE: 405-297-7778
EMAIL: wchandler@ymcaokc.org
Begun in 1995, the Youth Leadership Exchange, or YLX, is the high-school-age programming arm of Leadership Oklahoma City, Inc. YLX programs are school-year-long classes that meet one day a month. The classes are designed to teach the participants how to be better community leaders through volunteer service. Classes include exposure to organizations that work in the community as well as lessons and practice in skills that are useful in community work. Members for the classes are selected from applications and are as diverse as possible, enabling the class members to experience working with young people from a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives, an important ability for community leaders. Since 2000, LOKC has also recruited 45 young men and women (sophomores, juniors and seniors) to participate in our Youth in Action program. In 2018, OG&E has become the mentoring partner since OG&E employees are all over the metro area where the YLX members live. Youth Leadership Exchange (YLX) programming currently includes:
- Leadership Skills program, for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, a community information program
- Youth in Action program, for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and a skills-based program
- The Youth Council of Oklahoma City, for high school juniors and seniors, a project of the City of Oklahoma City managed by YLX, which educates and involves teenagers in city government.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based
CONTACT: Amber Shelton, YXL director
PHONE: 405-463-3331
EMAIL: ylx@lokc.org
The PAL+ Mentoring Program with Volunteers for Youth is a community-based mentoring program. Adult volunteers (mentor) are trained and paired with students (mentee). Mentoring options include site-based one-to-one at the school site and group sessions at area recovery groups. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate. The mentor’s purpose is to build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth in the student while building a friendship. TYPE OF PROGRAM: school-based
CONTACT: Cindy Wilson, PAL+ program director
PHONE: 918-343-2530
EMAIL: cindy.w@volunteersforyouth.com
J.A.M.E.S., Inc. mission is to lead expecting and parenting adolescents to self-sufficiency. Our primary focus is the development of the young parent as an individual person separate from their parenting responsibilities. Our unique Educational Doula (mentor) assists the adolescent parent in navigating the educational choices they choose for success. College and career readiness, personal and professional development, leadership and accountability are the focus of our programs. We serve Tulsa and its surrounding communities. Visit us at www.jamesinc.org.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based
CONTACT: Alisa Davis-Bell, executive director
PHONE: 918-402-3547
EMAIL: alisa.bell@jamesinc.org
The Boys & Girls Club of Leflore County’s YES Mentoring Program is a Boys & Girls Club based mentoring program serving students ages 6-18. Mentors spend approximately 30 minutes once a week with their mentee. Mentors meet with their mentees at our Club site and visit, play board games, shoot hoops, play catch, enjoy ping-pong or foosball, or any of several other available activities. Local attorneys, bankers, firemen, college baseball coach, ministers, college students and other caring community citizens are among the group of caring individuals who volunteer their time to help make a positive difference in the life of a child.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Club-based
CONTACT: Arielle Perry, executive director
PHONE: 918-647-7136
EMAIL: ceobgclc@gmail.com
The Boys and Girls Club of Green Country’s Academic Mentoring Program (AMP) is designed to assist students with homework during the Club’s Power Hour, which begins at 4:30 p.m. daily. The program is located at all Boys & Girls Club locations in Mayes and Adair counties. AMP mentors are required to mentor a minimum of 3-5 hours per week. Mentors participate in an orientation prior to beginning the program and are required to meet monthly with a mentoring advisor. Mentors are instructed on how to interact with and encourage students. The Boys and Girls Club of Green Country serves over 1100 students in K-12 grades.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Sylvia Morgan, administrative assistant
PHONE: 918-825-9843
EMAIL: smorgan@greencountrybgc.org
Pryor Public Schools
- Leaders of Future Tigers (L.O.F.T.) is a partnership between the Pryor High School Leadership students and a select group of fourth through sixth grade students to focus on learning life-long leadership skills, emphasizing the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, to become actively involved in the Pryor community at an early age. The students will seek first to understand and learn about the community and the needs of the community. They also complete a service-oriented learning opportunity each month during the school year.
- Students in the Walking Wednesday: Safe Routes to Schools meet at a designated drop off site on Wednesday and high school leadership students walk them to their school. The program allows high school students to build relationships with elementary students, parents, and staff by taking a proactive approach in getting to know the elementary families while walking to school. Creating safer routes to Pryor’s three elementary schools allow physical activity to be integrated into every person’s daily life. With proper guidance and training, Walking Wednesday has resulted in less school traffic, fewer emissions, more active and healthier children, and more involved parents. Due to exercising before school, students arrive energized and ready to learn. What started out as a mentoring program has turned into building a sense of “neighborhood” for the entire community. Walking Wednesday is a partnership between the city of Pryor, Cherokee Nation, and Pryor Public Schools.
- Elementary Robotics, an after-school program, has high school students working with the robotics teams. Peer mentors provide suggestions, take photos of accomplishments, help with various housekeeping tasks, and encourage mentees.
- Special Tigers Club, created by student Anthony Martinez in 2013-14, serves students with severe and profound special needs. Each club member is partnered with a special needs student, and together they accomplish various projects.
- Lincoln Challenge classes have fifth-grade students mentoring third-grade students and sixth-grade students mentoring fourth-grade students.
- High School Heroes, begun in 2014-15, has high school mentors working with at-risk elementary students.
CONTACT: Gary Kennemer, PHS teacher
PHONE: 918-825-2340
EMAIL: kennemerg@pryorschools.org
Through Third Graders Go to Work: Mayes County Project, an interactive six-lesson curriculum, third-grade students learn about a local business. A teacher visits a business for a day to learn about the target company. A businessman or businesswoman spends time at school with the students, and eventually the students tour the company. Examples of curriculum include learning new vocabulary and workforce qualifications, analyzing a student’s own human resources, completing a job application and interview, applying the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People to the workplace, etc. Barbara Hawkins, with the Chamber of Commerce, developed this highly successful program over a decade ago and has forged a solid business-education bond.
CONTACT: Barbara Hawkins, president, Pryor Chamber of Commerce
PHONE: 918-825-0157
EMAIL: info@PryorChamber.com
Thunderbird Challenge Program is designed to provide 16-18-year-old high school dropouts the opportunity to gain control over their lives. The program utilizes a structured approach to self-discipline, improving self esteem and physical fitness, thereby addressing the needs of the “whole person.” One of the most important requirements for each participant is to have at least one mentor. The role of a mentor is to serve as a role model, friend and advocate. Mentors are matched by gender and must be at least 21 or older. This program, a division of the Oklahoma National Guard and the National Guard Bureau Youth Challenge Program, is state and federally funded with no tuition charge to the family.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community
CONTACT: Vicki Smiddy, mentor coordinator
PHONE: 918-824-4853
EMAIL: tyana.whiteis@omd.ok.gov
Sallisaw Public Schools Mentoring Program is a mentoring program for students at Liberty Elementary. Sallisaw high school sends around twenty students over once a month to mentor the students at Liberty. During this time, mentors talk with the students and do different activities/projects with them. Students are selected by collaborating with teachers and parents to identify student need. The program serves around twenty students from first and second grades.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Sarah Jackson, Sallisaw High School counselor
EMAIL: sjackson@sallisawps.org
The PAL+ Mentoring Program with Volunteers for Youth is a community-based mentoring program. Adult volunteers (mentor) are trained and paired with students (mentee). Mentoring options include site-based one-to-one at the school site and group sessions at area recovery groups. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate. The mentor’s purpose is to build self-esteem, confidence, and self-worth in the student while building a friendship. TYPE OF PROGRAM: school-based
CONTACT: Cindy Wilson, PAL+ program director
PHONE: 918-343-2530
EMAIL: cindy.w@volunteersforyouth.com
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Shawnee is part of the nation’s largest donor and volunteer supported mentoring network. Big Brothers Big Sisters makes meaningful, monitored matches between adult volunteers (“Bigs”) and children (“Littles”), ages 6 through 18, in communities across the country, and in Oklahoma we serve the following communities: Shawnee, Tulsa, Norman, Bartlesville, Oklahoma City, Ponca City and Stillwater. We develop positive relationships that have a direct and lasting effect on the lives of young people. The Big Brothers Big Sisters Mission is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. The Big Brothers Big Sisters Vision is: All youth achieve their full potential. Our programs aim to help every child reach their full potential.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based or community-based programs, one-to-one
CONTACT: Nikki Rieves, area director
PHONE: 405.275.3553
EMAIL: nikki.rieves@bbbsok.org
Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Stillwater is the premier one-to-one youth mentoring organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters provides mentors to Stillwater area youth. Independent research demonstrates that the agency’s model of safely providing professionally supported one-to-one relationships has a direct and measurable impact. Volunteers make this impact though either school-based or community-based mentoring. In just four hours a month, children’s lives, kindergarten through 12th grade, are changed through mentoring.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based, community-based
CONTACT: Shelbi Smithton, area director
PHONE: 405-624-9922
EMAIL: shelbi.smithton@bbbsok.org
Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (C.E.A.T.) hosts eight mentoring programs.
- Architecture Mentoring Program is a seven-week program for all Arch/Arch Engineering Freshmen with upperclassmen serving as mentors.
- Chemical Engineering Student Mentor Program – Senior Chemical Engineering majors who are active members of Omega Chi Epsilon (Honor Society for Chemical Engineering) serve as mentors and guides for Junior Chemical Engineering majors through the difficult transition to and rigorous demands of Professional School (the last two years of the major).
- CEAT Peer Mentor Program involves upper-level CEAT men and women mentoring incoming freshmen CEAT students.
- CEAT Summer Bridge Program involves 90 incoming freshmen attending a three-week program before school begins. During that time, they are mentored by CEAT upperclassmen and administrators.
- Next Step Program connects CEAT sophomores with CEAT faculty and staff who serve as mentors (guides) to assist them with professional and personal development in their sophomore year and beyond.
- Parker Engineering, Architecture & Technology Experts (PEATE) – PEATEs, as they’re called, are upper-level male and female CEAT students who live in Parker Residence Hall with 200+ of the college’s new freshmen. They serve as examples, guides, tutors and much more as they assist the entire building, but also a small group of freshmen, through their first year of college and the rigors of studying engineering, architecture or technology.
- Student Council Big-Little Program has selected upper class-level men and women act as “Bigs’”to the CEAT Freshman Council “Littles.” Bigs act as mentors to the CFC-ers, particularly in the area of leadership both on campus and within CEAT. They also help connect the freshmen to the student organizations within the college.
- Scholars Mentoring Program pairs upperclassmen CEAT Scholars with freshmen CEAT Scholars to provide advice and academic support.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate, peer and/or alumni and professional mentoring
CONTACT: Lance Millis, director, Student Academic Services and Jordan Blackburn, retention coordinator
PHONE: 405-744-5276
EMAIL: lance.millis@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (C.E.A.T.) Scholars Mentoring Program selects approximately 25 new freshmen each year to receive mentoring and other enrichment programming from CEAT upperclassmen, administrators as well as legislators and corporate heads.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate; peer and/or alumni and professional mentoring
CONTACT: Amanda Williams, scholarship coordinator
PHONE: 405-744-4257
EMAIL: a.n.williamss@okstate.edu, jordan.blackburn10@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology (C.E.A.T.) Scholars Mentoring Program selects approximately 25 new freshmen each year to receive mentoring and other enrichment programming from CEAT upperclassmen, administrators as well as legislators and corporate heads.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate; peer and/or alumni and professional mentoring
CONTACT: Amanda Williams, scholarship coordinator
PHONE: 405-744-5140
EMAIL: a.n.williams@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine mentoring program pairs incoming first year student with both a student and physician mentor. Students mentors provide a colleague for the incoming students to help them navigate academics and provide advice for balancing academics with personal life. Physician mentors provide students with perspective and insight on longer term goals. Of course, all of our students are assigned faculty advisors who also play mentoring roles.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate mentoring, professional mentoring, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Jeff Hackler
EMAIL: jeff.hackler@okstate.edu
Cowboy Cousins, is an excellent opportunity to enrich your Cowboy experience by creating friendships with your fellow Cowboys and Cowgirls through cultural exchange. Cowboy Cousins pairs current OSU students with new International students for the purpose of welcoming them to the Stillwater community, OSU, and the Cowboy family. This also gives our current OSU students the opportunity to learn more about different cultures by cultivating relationships with students from different backgrounds. We host several events throughout each academic year. Our fall ‘Meet and Greet’ will be on October 2, 2019; where participants will meet other Cowboy Cousins. Our special guest will be President Burns Hargis.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate, peer-mentoring
CONTACT: Melisa Echols, advisor
PHONE: 405-744-6500
EMAIL: sga_cowboy_cousins@okstate.edu
The Division of Institutional Diversity (ID) at the Oklahoma State University (OSU), is a group of programs designed to assist and support underrepresented and underserved students achieve and maintain environments, where all members are actively broadening their perspectives about differences; actively seeking to know individuals; actively including all members of the community in every aspect of the organization; and where students achieve academic excellence.
- The Diversity Academic Support/TRiO (DAS and TRiO) programs create a more inclusively diverse community of learners at OSU. DAS works with all individuals interested in promoting this work.
- The Retention Initiative for Student Excellence (RISE) and the Inclusion Leadership Program (ILP) are among the initiatives set forth to accomplish these goals. Students in these two programs mentor high school students through college-preparatory workshops and one-on-one peer mentoring during the academic year. TRiO programs funded by the Department of Education include the Upward Bound (UB) and Student Support Services (SSS) programs. The UB program mentors junior and high school under–represented students, while the SSS program provides peer mentoring for first-generation, low income, and students with disabilities enrolled in academic programs at OSU. In addition, “First 2 Go,” a program for first-generation college students, utilizes students who have completed the program to peer mentor incoming first-generation students.
- The McNair Scholars program encourages students who pursue reach as undergraduates and what to achieve a Ph.D. in their future.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: High school, collegiate, peer and/or alumni mentoring
CONTACT: Dr. Jovette Dew
PHONE: 405-744-5335
EMAIL: jovette.dew@okstate.edu
CONTACT: Dr. Precious Elmore Sanders
PHONE: 405-744-5481
EMAIL: precious.elmore-sanders@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University’s College of Human Sciences
- Human Sciences Ambassadors is a group of undergraduate leaders who serve as peer mentors to freshmen, meet with prospective students who visit OSU’s College of Human Sciences, provide tours to prospective students and engage in related leadership activities. Mentoring through the Ambassadors’ program continues through graduation. Mentees become the mentors.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Laura Little Price, academic counselor
PHONE: 405-744-5053
EMAIL: laura.h.little@okstate.edu
- Patricia Kain Knaub Center for Student Success serves the educational roles of:
- Articulating the undergraduate academic programs and accompanying career opportunities
- Delivering a highly engaging first-year experience for freshmen and transfer undergraduates
- Delivering effective, student-centered, developmental advising services freshmen while providing professional development services to Human Sciences faculty advisors who advise junior and senior undergraduate students.
- Providing leadership development opportunities through student leadership organizations, special events, professional development opportunities, prospective student recruitment, mentoring of first-year students, and related endeavors.
- Engaging students in the career development process from the first-year experience through graduation
EMAIL: adrienne.redmond@okstate.edu
Through the Meridian Technology Center Practical Nursing Peer Mentoring Program students enter two times per year so the “older” students are mentors for the “newer” students. The mentor/mentee is then given guidelines regarding the requirements of how often to meet and suggested topics to discuss. These meetings (contacts) start as weekly, then decrease to every other week then monthly as time goes by. Staff have observed a difference in the cohesiveness of the two cohorts: older students are willing to assist newer students with assignments and skills (which gives them a review) and are overall more supportive of each other.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Peer mentoring, transition, Career Tech
CONTACT: Dolores Cotton, MSN, RN, Practical Nursing Coordinator
PHONE: (405) 377-3333, x324
EMAIL: doloresc@meridiantech.edu
Oklahoma State University’s Scholar and Research Development offers two mentoring programs.
- The Freshman Research Scholars program awards first-year students a $1,000 scholarship and provides them the opportunity to have a hands-on research experience in their area of study. In the fall, students identify a faculty mentor who they work with throughout the year. In April students create a research poster and present at the Freshman Research Scholars Symposium. In 2018-19, around 90 freshmen participated in the program.
- Wentz Research Scholars Program provides $4,500 scholarships to sophomores, juniors and seniors to carry out an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Thanks to funding from the Lew Wentz Foundation. approximately 40 Wentz Research Scholars are named each year. They present their findings at the Wentz Research Scholars Symposium in April.
EMAIL: scholardevelopment.okstate.edu, latasha.tasci@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University’s LASSO CENTER has programs to help all OSU students succeed as they transition into college and throughout their college experience.
- Tutoring Program: The Center offers one-on-one tutoring to any student on campus needing assistance. Qualified tutors meet GPA & course content standards and are approved by the LASSO Center staff. The center offers tutoring for courses in all of the academic colleges on campus.
- Supplemental Instruction Program: This program targets traditionally challenging courses that serve as introductory courses or “gateway” courses, e.g., for example, “Introductory Biology”, “General Chemistry”, “Introduction to Microeconomics”, etc.). “SI Leaders” are hired students, who have successfully completed the course previously and earned an “A”. SI Leaders sit in on the current lectures alongside students who are enrolled in the class. That SI Leader is implanted in the class to serve as a mentoring presence for enrolled students. Students can ask the SI Leader questions before or after lecture, they can sit next to the SI Leader in class to better model successful student behaviors. SI Leaders are students who are passionate about the course and equally passionate about helping other students succeed. The SI Leaders also hold three weekly group review sessions over content covered in that week’s lecture and office hours for one-on-one collaboration.
CONTACT: Susan Malec, coordinator, tutoring
PHONE: 405-744-5020
EMAIL: susan.malec@okstate.edu
CONTACT: Tashia Cheves, coordinator, supplemental instruction
PHONE: 405-332-6588
EMAIL: tashia.cheves@okstate.edu
- Academic Success Coaching: Full-time coaches meet with students who typically self-identify as experiencing some issue or challenge that is hindering their success at OSU. The coach works with that student to identify their areas of personal skill and strengths, facilitates the student’s discovery of how they can best approach that challenge by employing their strengths, suggests areas for further skill exploration and development, and supports the student’s growth.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College-based, adult/professional mentors
CONTACT: Mike Seaman, coordinator, academic support center
PHONE: 405-744-2451
EMAIL: mike.seaman@okstate.edu
MICAH Mentoring Program at Oklahoma State University began seven years ago formally in partnership with Ardmore’s MICAH Foundation, Inc., which began the mentoring program in Ardmore 17 years ago. Designed to eradicate emotional poverty, this intergenerational program teaches students mentoring skills to interact with compassion and respect for the elderly. Students play games, sing songs, have conversations, make garden and lawn improvements, read books, form skits, paint fingernails and basically become a friend with elderly in and outside of residential care units. Students meet at the beginning of each semester to be trained in risk management and elderly etiquette and are assigned to one of six elderly resident housing facilities. They meet with a resident weekly for a total amount of time of at least 24 hours, to build a personal relationship of caring by interacting and providing one-on-one activity enhancement. Primarily centered at OSU, the program has been initiated in other communities as requested. Students are encouraged to continue the program in their residential communities when they graduate from OSU. The participants are recognized each year for their service to the communities at the OSU President’s Leadership and Service Reception.
Approximately 100 students have been served by the program at OSU since its inception. Although not all have finished the program, the concept has been introduced to faculty, staff, alums and others who would hope to see the skills of younger students include the precepts of the MICAH Mentoring Program. Impact through presentations, training, and recruitment efforts have reached well over 1500 individuals, residents, community and family members, as well as many non-profits. Mentees are generally 70+ years of age and do not have the ability to perform tasks on their own. We hope to expand this program in the future to include the disabled and improve community living options and accessibility.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate, community-based with elderly
CONTACT: Joyce Montgomery, coordinator, OSU Student Volunteer Center
PHONE: 405-744-5145
EMAIL: joyce.montgomery@okstate.edu
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
Oklahoma State University’s Spears School of Business Mentoring Program has been developed to offer OSU Alumni and Friends the opportunity to interact with currently enrolled full-time Spears School of Business students. Mentors share their experience, knowledge, network, and guidance with business students via bi-weekly communication and on campus events. Communication may be via email, text, phone, Skype, Chronus or face-to-face. Mentors and full-time students enrolled in the Spears School of Business are matched at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. This program runs concurrently with the fall and spring semesters. Mentors/students typically conclude their relationship at the end of each semester.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate, alumni and professional mentoring
CONTACT: Taylor Burmeier, mentoring program coordinator
PHONE: 405-744-7536
EMAIL: taylor.burmeier@okstate.edu
Jacob’s Ladder Foundation (JLF) is a community-supported educational after-school program designed to enrich elementary-age children identified with learning problems. Only children with learning challenges, identified and recommended by their regular classroom teachers, are accepted into the JLF Program.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based, community-based
CONTACT: Kim Wheeler
PHONE: 918-290-9260
The Stroud Public Schools Mentoring Program is designed to meet the academic needs of identified students in grades K-12.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Joe Van Tuyl, superintendent
PHONE: 918-968-2541
EMAIL: jvantuyl@stroud.k12.ok.us
Northeastern State University hosts eight mentoring programs for students. Student organizations and degree programs offer internal leadership opportunities and mentoring
- The Leadership Development Program offers introduction, intermediate and advanced classes to students with the hope to offer a capstone in the future. Students must attend 5 workshops throughout the semester, complete pre-and-post assessments, and complete a Leadership Experience of their choosing.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate mentoring, peer mentoring, alumni and/or professional mentoring
CONTACT: Haley Stiles, director
EMAIL: stiles02@nsuok.edu
- The Center for Tribal Studies offers scholarships, internships, and student organizations for Native American students. The Center also offers a leadership summit for Indigenous students, hosts the Symposium on the American Indian each year, and is the home of the Native American Support Center.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate mentoring, peer mentoring, alumni and/or professional mentoring
CONTACT: Sara Barnett
PHONE: 918-444-4350
EMAIL: tribalstudies@nsuok.edu
- The Native American Support Center offers peer-to-peer mentoring programs for Native American freshman students and offers tutoring services and weekly workshops designed to foster student success in college.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate mentoring, peer mentoring, alumni and/or professional mentoring
CONTACT: Sara Barnett
PHONE: 918-444-4350
EMAIL: tribalstudies@nsuok.edu
- Students are paired with a mentor on campus through the Campus-wide Mentoring Program.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate mentoring, peer mentoring, alumni and/or professional mentoring
CONTACT: Haley Stiles, director
EMAIL: stiles02@nsuok.edu
- The Riverhawks Scholar Program is a 4-year certificate program for students with mild and/or moderate intellectual or developmental disabilities. Offers peer mentors throughout the 4-year program.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate mentoring, peer mentoring, alumni and/or professional mentoring
CONTACT: Justin Chase
PHONE: 918-444-3711
EMAIL: chase04@nsuok.edu
- TRIO Services offers support services for low-income, disabled, or first-generation students including tutoring, graduate school preparation, workshops, seminars and peer mentoring.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate mentoring, peer mentoring, alumni and/or professional mentoring
CONTACT: Lena Deere, program director
PHONE: 918-444-30
EMAIL: deerelr@nsuok.edu
- The Future Alumni Network offers admission to alumni events, chances to network with alumni, and opportunities to take on leadership roles.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate mentoring, peer mentoring, alumni and/or professional mentoring
CONTACT: Danny Johnson, advisor
PHONE: 918-444-4200
EMAIL: fan@nsuok.edu
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Goodwell, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
STARBASE 2.0, a National Guard Youth Program, is an afterschool, STEM-based, group mentoring program, called Afterschool Mentoring Clubs. In 2015-16, Woodall Middle School has one club with three mentors from STARBASE and one Woodall teacher-mentor. In addition to its STEM project, Lego Mindstorms & VEX Robotics and Rocketry, the mentors and mentees employ goal-setting and team-building skills.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
SCHOOL CONTACT: Megan Helm
PHONE: 918-456-1581(Woodall Middle School)
STARBASE OKLAHOMA CONTACT: Rita Miller, director
PHONE: 918-833-7757
EMAIL: ramille@starbaseok.org
100 Black Men of Tulsa Inc., serves youths in grades six through twelve in the City of Tulsa and Tulsa County. The men mentor youth through a worldwide network of chapters. Across the United States and internationally, 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and 100 Black Men International are positively impacting the lives of tomorrow’s leaders through the 100’s signature programs such as Mentoring the 100 Way and Collegiate 100®. Chapters also deliver unique, innovative mentoring initiatives that are locally relevant and that change the lives of tens of thousands of youth annually. Mentoring the 100 Way® – A holistic mentoring program that addresses the social, emotional and cultural needs of children ages 8-18. Members of the 100 are trained and certified to become mentors, advocates, and role models for the youth within their communities. Through chapter operated one-on-one and group mentoring efforts, our members forge relationships that positively impact our greatest resource: our youth. The program focuses on building essential skills needed to become productive, contributing citizens. The Tulsa chapter is focusing upon on group mentoring.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based and after-school
CONTACT: David Harris, president
PHONE: 918-625-1336
EMAIL: dharris@sbcglobal.net
Asbury United Methodist Church Youth Mentoring/Tutoring Missions
- A&W – Asbury and Whitman Elementary Connection is Asbury’s Partner in Education with Walt Whitman Elementary through the Tulsa Metro Chamber. Become a reading buddy, math tutor, field trip volunteer, testing monitor or office aide at Asbury’s partner school. Lunch Bunch generally meets the first and third Monday of each month. Be blessed as a community or family to put together a blessing birthday basket for a child at Walt Whitman. Transportation provided from Asbury.
CONTACT: Cathy Carney
PHONE: 918-697-9529
EMAIL: carneyclub@sbcglobal.net
- Global Gardens is an after-school educational ministry for children from Union 6th and 7th Grade Center. Through hands-on inquiry-based learning, Global Gardens teaches an all-encompassing curriculum that connects the garden with other disciplines and allows students to connect the learning in the garden to both school learning and real life experiences.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school
CONTACT: Colby Craig
PHONE: 918-219-3494
- Young Lives is a mentoring program to develop one-on-one relationships with pregnant teens and young mothers and help introduce teens to Jesus Christ. Volunteers must be at least college age.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Faith-based
CONTACT: Kalyn Reinhardt
PHONE: 918-361-6731
EMAIL: tulsayounglives@gmail.com
Big Brothers Big Sisters Tulsa is the premier one-to-one youth mentoring organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters provides mentors to over two hundred-fifty Tulsa children. Independent research demonstrates that the agency’s model of safely providing professionally supported one-to-one relationships has a direct and measurable impact. Volunteers make this impact through either school-based or community-based mentoring. In just four hours a month, children’s lives, kindergarten through 12th grade, are changed through mentoring.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based or community-based programs, one-to-one
CONTACT: Matthew Morton, area director
PHONE: 918-744-4400
EMAIL: justin.wood@bbbsok.org
Camp Fire Green County makes a promise to the youth we serve stating “Young people want to change the world. Camp Fire provides the opportunity to find their spark, lift their voice, and discover who they are. In Camp Fire it begins now.” Camp Fire Green Country provides social emotional learning experiences through small group mentoring with trained staff in out-of-school time clubs, camp and outdoor programs, and in youth leadership opportunities for middle- and high-school youth.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based
PHONE: 918-592-2267
EMAIL: info@tulsacampfire.org
Junior Achievement of Oklahoma, Inc. offers volunteer-delivered, kindergarten-12th grade programs fostering work-readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills, and uses experiential learning to inspire students to dream big and reach their potential. Junior Achievement provides programs in 24 counties and 67 districts for students K-12. JA is on track to reach its goal over 62,000 students served in 2019-2020. Group mentoring in classrooms and experiential learning opportunities include JA BizTown Learning Center in Tulsa, one of 30 in the United States; JA Job Shadow; and JA Investor Challenge. Businesses provide volunteers.
CONTACT: Erica Irvine, VP of operations, Tulsa
PHONE: 918-663-2150
EMAIL: eirvine@jaok.org
Through Life Launch, a program of Stand in the Gap Ministries, mentors invest in the lives of at-risk young people, especially youths aging out of foster care and foster alumni. Supported “wherever they are,” youths receive encouragement toward independence and self-sufficiency. After a training period, a team of three mentors commit to meet with their youth for at least 90 minutes every two weeks for a minimum of one year. Mentors spend six months getting to know their young friend without trying to “fix” him or her. After six months and if the youth is ready, the team begins to help the youth vocalize his or her goals and chart a path to achieving them. With a healthy and trusting relationship as a base, mentors connect each youth to the tools and resources he or she needs to give themselves a hand up.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based, team mentoring
CONTACT: TJ Warren, Life Launch program manager, Tulsa
PHONE: 918-585-6112
EMAIL: tj@sitgm.org
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
Pocket Player Mentors, a program of A Pocket Full of Hope®, is designed to help youth develop life-skills and learning using music, theater and dance. From its founding in 2000 until 2013, it has served over 5,000 youths from seven to twelve years of age in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Osage County. Expanding its impact, A Pocket Full of Hope brought a social responsibility training curriculum to students at Central Junior High, Central High School, McLain Junior High and McLain High School for the 2015-16 school year. Begun as a vision in 2008, A Pocket Full of Hope, Inc.’s Community Revitalization Center and Educational Research Institute, formally Tulsa’s historic Big 10 Ballroom, is becoming a performance hall, home, and cultural tourism center for Tulsa. In 2019, an entrepreneurship program has been added so that the mentees think not only about college but also about creating jobs for others.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school
CONTACT: Dr. Lester Shaw, founder and executive director
PHONE: 918-430-1700
EMAIL: info@apfoh.com
Reading Partners, a national program model, began in Tulsa in 2013, by placing community volunteers in low-income schools to help kids master basic reading skills. Its one-on-one tutoring model empowers students to succeed in reading and in life by engaging community volunteers to provide individualized, personal attention to each student. In 2014-15, Reading Partners had 1,200 mentors at 15 school sites with additional sites scheduled for next year. It’s motto is “One tutor. One child. Infinite possibilities.”
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Jessica Risenhoover, community engagement manager, Tulsa
PHONE: 918-949-1979
EMAIL: jessica.risenhoover@readingpartners.org, volunteertul@readingpartners.org
Mentors at Tulsa Public Schools’ Sequoyah Elementary School meet one-on-one with their mentee for an hour a week throughout the school year. Sequoyah Elementary School is actively looking for volunteers to serve as mentors. If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please contact Dianna Potts.
TYPE: School-based
CONTACT: Dianna Potts
PHONE: 918-746-9360
EMAIL: pottsdi@tulsaschools.org
STARBASE 2.0, a National Guard Youth Program, is an afterschool, STEM-based, group mentoring program, called Afterschool Native American Clubs. Union Public Schools has two clubs. In 2015-16:
- Tulsa Union’s 6th Grade Native American Club has five mentors, one from NORDAM, three from Union staff or faculty, and one from the Tulsa Tech PLTW. In addition to the club’s STEM project, SeaPerch Underwater Submersible Radio-Controlled Vehicle, the mentors and mentees employ goalsetting and team-building skills.
- Union’s 7th Grade Native American Club has 7 mentors, one from NORDAM, two Union faculty or staff, one from STARBASE, one from Tulsa Tech, and one TANG Environmental professional. In addition to the club’s STEM project of Weather & Rocketry, mentors and mentees employ goalsetting and team-building skills.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After-school, STEM
PHONE: 918-357-4326 (Tulsa Union Middle School), 918-833-9800 (STARBASE Oklahoma)
UNION MIDDLE SCHOOL STARBASE CONTACT[S]: Jodie Rogers, Sue Harlson
STARBASE OKLAHOMA CONTACT: Rita Miller, director, STARBASE Oklahoma
EMAIL: ramille@starbaseok.org
STIRRUPS, Will Rogers College High and Junior High Mentoring Program, was launched by the Will Rogers Community Foundation, Inc. Mentors from alumni, churches, and the University of Tulsa meet with seventh- through twelfth-grade students during advisory class.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Johnnie Egbert, co-founder
PHONE: 918-698-9878
EMAIL: egberjo@hotmail.com
Street School Mentoring Program is an alternative high school of choice with a therapeutic counseling program for at-risk youth in grades 9-12. Street School is a dropout prevention, intervention and recovery program accredited by Tulsa Public Schools. Students choose Street School because they are committed to graduating, to learning life skills, to resolving substance abuse problems, to dealing with behavioral issues and to filling the void of support traditionally provided by family. The mentor program pairs mentors with students who request a mentor. More information, the mentor application and background check forms can be found at www.streetschool.org. Mentors meet with their mentee for one hour each week at Street School. Mentoring is a great way to connect with our students who have an average Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) score of eight.
CONTACT: Marie Quinten, communications and development coordinator
PHONE: 918-833-9821
EMAIL: quintma@tulsaschools.org
The Tulsa Boys’ Home has a variety of ways to volunteer. We actively seek and value diverse perspectives and life experiences in our volunteers. We foster an environment in which volunteers feel welcome and appreciated. Our volunteers exemplify the generous spirit of unselfish giving. The purpose of having volunteers is to enhance our programs and services and to provide a positive atmosphere that promotes personal and professional growth and achievement for volunteers. Volunteering creates an opportunity for people in the community to form a partnership with Tulsa Boys’ Home. We actively search for mentors to supply our 64 boys with their own personal mentor to aid in their growth and overcome their personal, social, mental and/or drug abuse problems. In 2012, TBH served 196 Oklahomans, sixth through twelfth grade, from every city and county.
TYPE: Community-based
CONTACT: Jeff Johnson, volunteer coordinator
PHONE: 918-245-0231
EMAIL: jjohnson@tbhinc.org
World Baseball Outreach, provides “faith-based mentoring and encouragement to the underserved youth across the Midwest US and in strategic international locations while building enduring relationships and preparing leaders for tomorrow through baseball and softball.” Youth in three grade categories—K-5th, 6-8th and 9th-12th—are served in Tulsa and surrounding Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, Texas nationally and Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Brazil.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Community-based
CONTACT: Holly Moreland, facility coordinator
PHONE: 918-893-4772
EMAIL: hmoreland@worldbaseballoutreach.org
Young People of the Next Foundation (YPNG) uses modern technology to connect young people, grades 8-12, with mentors who will motivate them to build a record of achievement in high school and get additional education and training. YPNG Mentors also help them make a good career choice by exposing them to a wide variety of career opportunities and the realities of working in those careers and by showing them how to create a plan to reach their career goals. The YPNG program uses virtual classrooms with no more than five students interacting with one mentor. YPNG also does interviews with our YPNG Mentors that are part of our Mentor Library where students can research various careers. YPNG has recently begun doing these interviews as podcasts and are encouraging students to record their own interviews of successful people that YPNG will convert into podcasts and post on the site to share with other students. This program will open doors for students to interact with successful people in careers that interest them and will help students build confidence and learn communication skills. Beginning in 2014, YPNG had 1500 students visited the site each month in 2017.
TYPE: Online through virtual classrooms and podcasts
CONTACT: Bill Langdon, founder
PHONE: 918-261-4474
EMAIL: wclangdon@ypng.co
Youth At Heart This program grew out of Asbury’s serving children living in low-income housing in Tulsa for 36 years. The program was originally organized in 1976 as Destination Discovery by Asbury’s Pastor Bill Mason and Joe Harris to provide educational, social and spiritual programs for children in low-income housing during the after-school hours. In 2003 at the urging of United Way Destination Discovery was merged with Helping Hands of Tulsa to provide uniform programs in each of the eleven apartment communities that they served at that time. The resulting organization was named Youth At Heart. Its mission is to provide expanded learning opportunities that develop character, instill values, and equip youth for success. This organization has moved from serving exclusively apartment communities to now offering engaging afterschool and summer programs at three Tulsa Public School campuses. Community mentors assist with homework help, activity clubs, coaching sports, and serving as guest speakers at school sites. In addition to the school sites, select students receive one-on-one tutoring from volunteers at Asbury United Methodist and Christ United Methodist. YAH appreciates the support of mentors who partner with us to equip the youth for success.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: After=school, Faith-based
CONTACT: Kelvin Bonner, director of programs
PHONE: 918-493-7311, x16
EMAIL: kbonner@youthatheart.org
VERDIGRIS
Volunteers for Youth PAL Program is a school based mentoring program that pairs an adult (mentor) with a particular student (mentee) for the weekly meetings. The meetings take place at the school site during the school day. Mentors strive to become the student’s friend, role model, motivator and personal advocate.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Celina Davis, PAL program director
PHONE: 918-724-7474
EMAIL: celina.d@volunteersforyouth.com
Through the Oklahoma Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, minority college students majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are paired with faculty mentors to learn research skills. Each campus in the Oklahoma Alliance has a campus coordinator who adds extra mentoring to the students in the program. The mentor works with the students to find a “fit” with a faculty mentor and is there to guide the students toward degree completion and hopefully into a graduate program or a work environment suitable to their degree program. Oklahoma Alliance campuses include Lawton, Ada, Langston, Tahlequah, Alva, Stillwater, Durant, Weatherford, Edmond, Norman and Tulsa.
CONTACT: Brenda Morales, LSAMP director
PHONE: 405-744-6710
EMAIL: blm@okstate.edu
Southwestern Oklahoma State University offers two mentoring programs.
- New faculty are assigned peer mentors by the heads of their departments.
- The University offers college success coaching for at-risk students.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: College mentoring, peer mentoring, academic success coaching
CONTACT: Dr. James South, provost and vice president for academic affairs
PHONE: 580-774-3771
EMAIL: james.south@swosu.edu
In the SWOSU Neuroscience Mentoring Program at the Southwestern Oklahoma State University Neuroscience Lab, undergraduate students are exposed to novel scientific research and trained to perform experiential learning in the field of neurobiology. Mentees and mentors include high school, undergraduates, high school teachers and college instructors. In this program, everyone is a both mentor and mentee. All learn from and teach one another. Mentees study how neuronal connections are formed and maintained in a developing and adult brain. For these studies, they use a well characterized microscopic worm called C. elegans and translate their findings to more complex organisms such as humans. Through this work, biology undergraduates at SWOSU have produced over 70 oral and poster presentations to scientific meetings in the last five years, published five manuscripts at peer reviewed journals, and communicated their research findings to general public in numerous community outreach events including Brain Awareness Week, Science in Action, and the Women in Science Symposium. The location of the mentoring program is Weatherford, however; students from all over the United States as well as international students from Canada, Cameroon, Nepal, Mexico, and Argentina have participated.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Collegiate
CONTACT: Andrea Holgado, Ph.D.
PHONE: 580-774-3230
EMAIL: andrea.holgado@swosu.edu
Weatherford Public School mentors at Burcham Elementary School meet once a week at 7:30 a.m. with one child to read for fun. Mentors participating in the Early Bird Reading Program are not teaching the child to read but fostering a love of reading. It accomplishes several things: an adult/child relationship, love of reading, practice of reading, and an improvement in reading. This is for all first-grade students, regardless of reading level. Mentors are retired teachers, business people, high school and college students, parents and grandparents.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Stephanie Smith, program director
PHONE: 580-774-0812
EMAIL: ssmith@wpsok.org
Woodward High School’s Freshmen Mentoring Program (FMP) or a Friendly Meeting Place uses upperclassmen to mentor freshmen. Juniors and seniors meet with assigned small groups of freshmen in classrooms each Wednesday for 20 minutes to provide them with information that will help make a more successful transition to high school. Student mentors, who must apply and, if accepted, surrender part of their lunch and serve as role models and guides to high school life all year. Topics vary along with some small and large group activities, e.g., pep rallies, being competitive with the upperclassmen, community service, bullying, campus involvement, grades, motivation, and others. Mentors and faculty members focus upon approximately 200 current freshmen.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based, peer mentoring
CONTACT: Tacy Hurst, English instructor
PHONE: 580-256-5329
EMAIL: hurst@woodwardps.net
In 1969, Yukon Public Schools established Helping Hands, a group of volunteers who assist teachers and work with students. Realizing the need for a mentoring program, the school district implemented a mentoring component to the volunteer organization in 1996. Currently, 72 volunteers serve as mentors, with a total of 578 volunteers helping in other areas. Yukon’s mentoring program is focused on working with students who are struggling with self-esteem or family issues. Mentoring takes place during school hours at the student’s school, and child care is provided for a small fee to mentors who have children between the ages of 18 months to 5 years. Positive role models who spend 30 minutes once a week providing love, guidance and support.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: School-based
CONTACT: Dianna Mann, volunteer services coordinator
PHONE: 405-354-3716
EMAIL: Dianna.Mann@yukonps.com
Central Oklahoma Workforce Innovation Board (COWIB) has both adult and youth WIOA funded programs in Canadian, Cleveland, Hughes, Lincoln, Logan, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties. The youth program provides programs and services that ensure youth acquire the education, skills, work experience and support they will need to reach their full potential and successfully transition to productive adulthood. Individuals 16-24 with one or more of the following barriers may benefit from our program: Pregnant/Parenting, Foster Youth, Justice System, Homeless/Runaway, Individual with a Disability, Low Income and Basic Skills Deficient, or English as a second language.
TYPE: Community-based, career/workforce oriented
CONTACT: Yolanda Alexander Scott, youth services program manager
PHONE: 405-622-2026 X 301
EMAIL: yolandascott@cowib.org
NorthCare is a private not-for-profit community mental health center, established in 1981 to provide mental health services in the north part of Oklahoma County. NorthCare has locations in other communities, but the center is also a resource for special communities and individuals. From assisting teen parents, veterans, and the homeless to those in foster care, probation, and re-entry, NorthCare delivers multiple services for children and adults.
TYPE OF PROGRAM: Resource for mental health service programs
PHONE: 405-858-2700
These mentoring resources are provided as a service of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, and links to other mentoring programs and resources do not necessarily represent the policies and positions of the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence.
