A Call to Mentor

The Hays CISD mentoring program pairs adults with student mentees in a proven, effective practice of making a difference in the lives of students. In our ongoing commitment to build student self-efficacy Hays CISD is proud to announce a renewed call for mentors to strengthen student connectedness and develop strong relationships.

Length and Time of Commitment

We ask for a 1 year commitment to meet with a student once a week for 30 minutes, during the school day (during the student’s lunch period will be the preferred time).

What do mentors do? Mentors provide constant encouragement and emotional support for their students. Mentors help students to:

• Accept responsibility
• Use good study habits
• Make positive choices
• Learn problem solving skills
• Have better peer relationships

Good mentoring relationships require a secure mentor training process. Prior to being assigned to a campus and matched with a mentee, all mentors must register with our VIP’s volunteer system, receive a Hays CISD volunteer ID badge and complete all levels of the onboarding process.

Requirements - How to become a mentor: There are only four (4) requirements to become a mentor:

1. Consent to a Hays CISD Criminal Background Check by registering through our VIP’s volunteer portal. (Level 1)

· If you have previously volunteered within Hays CISD, click Established Volunteers. If you are registered as an established volunteer, please go into your account and designate an interest in “Mentoring” to update your account.

· If you are NEW to Hays CISD or have not completed the VIPS process, click this link: New Volunteers

2. Once you are approved, the VIP’s system will notify you to complete an online self-paced training module.(Level 2)

1. Once your level 2 responses are recorded, the VIP’s system will auto-generate a link to register for one of our 1.5 hr. in-person Onboarding/Training sessions at the PAC happening Sept.13th – 20th. (Level 3)
2. Upon completion of in-person training, a Mentor Training Certificate will be issued and approved mentors will connect with the campus School Counselor/Campus Mentor Liaison for matching with a mentee and review check-in procedures. (Level 4)

Why mentoring?

Research repeatedly shows that having a mentor helps a child to be more successful in school. Children are not the only ones whose lives can be changed by mentoring. For many mentors, the rewards of reaching out to another and building a close, trusting relationship are great, including an increase in personal enrichment, happiness and self-knowledge. In fact, mentoring benefits all of society: healthy, educated and nurtured children tend to grow up to be productive adults and responsible parents. They may even grow up to be mentors themselves.

Thank you for saying “yes” to mentoring!

Questions? Please contact ESSER SEL Specialist Tracy Mayhue, Tracy.Mayhue@hayscisd.net

Parent/School Compact

Parent Right to Know