David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative
In 2003, Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence founder and chairman David L. Boren challenged public school foundation leaders across the state to “harness the goodness of Oklahoma” by mobilizing volunteers in their communities to become mentors for children in need.
“Think what would happen if all at-risk children in this state had mentors —someone to spend time with them, to tutor them, to love them,” he said. “Think about how it would transform this state. It would be revolutionary!”
Inspired by Boren’s outspoken passion for mentoring and the proven impact of mentoring on academic performance, the Foundation has launched the David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative. The five-point program draws on the statewide resources of the foundation to promote school-based mentoring and provide resources, training and networking throughout the state.
“With its tremendous network of local education foundations, trustees, Academic All-State alumni and educators, the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence is well positioned to promote mentoring in school districts throughout Oklahoma,” said OFE President Teresa Adwan.
The five components of the mentoring initiative include:
• Creating a comprehensive online database of existing mentor programs in Oklahoma and a directory of mentoring tools and resources. Through our contacts with school districts and mentoring programs throughout the state, the Foundation will build a comprehensive database of mentoring programs and information to be posted on our web site. The information will be compiled and maintained by our staff and will serve as a helpful resource for prospective volunteers, school administrators, parents and community groups seeking guidance on how to create effective mentoring programs.
• Promoting mentoring as an integral part of our Local Education Foundation Outreach Program to school districts throughout the state. The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence has helped build one of the nation's strongest and largest networks of public school foundations by providing training and networking opportunities for new and existing local education foundations in such areas as board development, programming and fundraising. While the individual mission statements of Oklahoma's LEFs may vary from foundation to foundation, they all work as liaisons between the public schools and the greater community, raising awareness and building support for local schools. Thus, LEFs are well positioned to work with school administrators to develop mentoring programs and to recruit qualified volunteers throughout the community to serve as mentors. Jennifer Geren, our director of local education foundation outreach, will expand our Foundation's service to promote the value of mentoring and to provide mentoring resources in her daily work with Oklahoma's LEFs and school districts.
• Adding mentoring seminars at the Fall Forum. Every year, the Foundation for Excellence sponsors the Fall Forum for Local Education Foundations, the state's only training and networking event for LEF supporters and educators. The Fall Forum has historically provided training in four areas: fundraising; board development; teacher grants; and special interest sessions, which vary from year to year. Sessions dedicated to the value of mentoring have been added, beginning with the 2005 Fall Forum, to provide the information and resources needed to create and maintain safe and effective mentoring programs. These sessions feature LEFs and other organizations that have already established successful mentoring programs.
• Undertaking a statewide public relations campaign. The Foundation's communications staff will promote the mentoring initiative and the value of mentoring through news releases, brochures, foundation publications, electronic communications and the Foundation web site.
• Expanding the volunteer mentor effort among Foundation for Excellence trustees and Academic All-State alumni. As advocates for excellence in public education, Foundation supporters, ranging from trustees to recent Academic All-State honorees, will be encouraged to serve as role models and leaders in this volunteer mentoring movement. The Foundation has already built a successful All-State alumni mentor program that serves elementary school children in Norman, Oklahoma City, Stillwater, Tulsa and Weatherford. Through the David and Molly Boren Mentoring Initiative, the Foundation will continue to recruit and train new All-State alumni mentors, giving alumni an opportunity to give back to Oklahoma public education while making a meaningful difference in children's lives. In addition, the Foundation will encourage its many trustees to volunteer as mentors in their communities and otherwise endorse and support local mentoring programs.
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.