"Our mission is to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential through mentoring." It is our hope to assit as many Columbus youth as possible by providing them a volunteer mentor who cares, listens, and provides guidance and friendship on a weekly basis. Call 564-6248

Description:
TeamMates is a school-based mentoring program which pairs adult volunteers one-to-one with middle school students. Adult TeamMates serve as positive role models for students needing extra adult attention and meet with their student one hour each week during school hours. Together the pair can participate in fun activities such as doing research, going for a walk, playing a game, shooting baskets, doing homework, doing a craft, etc.
The National Mentoring Partnership has identified a "mentoring gap" and has issued a nationwide call to action. The partnership estimates 15 million youth are currently in need of a mentor.
The TeamMates program partners with The Gallup Organization to measure the impact of mentoring on youth. Gallup has discovered significant improvement in grades, attendance and disciplinary referrals for youth once they have been matched with a TeamMates mentor.

History:
Tom and Nancy Osborne founded the TeamMates Mentoring Program in 1991 in an effort to provide support and encouragement to school aged youth. The program began in Lincoln and has slowly spread to over 80 communities in Nebraska and neighboring states. Columbus began its chapter in 1999. The goal of the program is to see youth graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education. To reach this goal, youth meet one hour per week with a caring adult who serves as a mentor.

Contact person: Tricia Faust, (phone), (email)

Address:

3674 35th Avenue Columbus, NE 68601 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.teammates.org

Overall Experience   
Small Gestures Reap Great Benefits

I was matched with a young man beginning 5th grade and continued through his senior year in high school. I found that just a small amount of time with a child can have an enormous impact. Originally I joined Teammates because I believe in Tom Osborne's mentoring vision and that he is a good ethical man I truly admire. However, when I started in the Teammates program, I thought there was no way an hour a week would make any meaningful difference. I can't tell you how wrong I was! What I considered a small gesture on my part was a big part of the child I mentored. I never expected to recieve anything in return but we both found out the value of knowing there is someone who cares about YOU, no strings attached. I learned that there are some wonderful educators who truly care about their students in our educational system today. The experiences I have had in Teammates will be a positive part of who I am forever. posted by dmcwilli on December 19, 2007