Mentors

Hiring Volunteer and Work Study Mentors NOW!

We have a great opportunity for students, all majors and ages are welcome.  Blugold Beginnings is a precollege mentoring program on campus that serves community youth, 5th-12th grade.  The mission of the program is to educate and inspire students, especially underrepresented, low income, or first generation students, to believe that a post-secondary education is important, attainable, and available at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and other institutions.  Programming is lead in area schools by college students trained to be tutors and mentors.  In order to do this meaningful work, Blugold Beginnings is looking for caring and responsible college students to serve as mentors for this school year.   

• Service Learning credit can be earned by volunteering as a mentor (fun way to fulfill this graduation requirement)
• We have limited paid leadership positions available (work study and non-work study). 
• Carpools can be arranged if needed and some schools are on bus lines or within walking distance.
• Mentoring is great resume builder, great way to get to know your community, make a difference and meet new friends.
• Please return completed applications via email to martinlj@uwec.edu or to Brewer Hall, Office 50.
• Training is provided and required.
• Programming is scheduled to begin in area schools the week of October 1, 2012.

 

Join Blugold Beginnings as a Mentor!

The Blugold Beginnings program is built on the support, enthusiasm, and commitment of our mentors. Students from UW-Eau Claire make up our entire team of mentors. The program creates a variety of opportunities for our mentors to make a difference and gain valuable experience working with elementary through high school students.

2009-2010 Mentors

2010-2011 Mentors

Why Mentor?

Make a Difference

There are many reasons why you should be a mentor. When a university student spends quality time with an elementary, middle, or high school student they send the message that education is important and a post secondary education is possible, because there are people who will support them on their journey toward success.

Community Connection

Perhaps you had a mentor when you were growing up, a neighbor, friend, or relative who influenced your life and impacted who you are today. Being a positive role model for a student in your community can make a world of difference in that student's life. You can impact their hopes, dreams and future plans for themselves. Take action through our program by becoming a mentor and positively influence a young person's life.

Service Learning

Another benefit to being a mentor through our program is completing your university service learning requirement. The Center for Service Learning has already approved this project and fully supports the program. This is a great way to fill that requirement while doing something fun and making a difference in your community. To complete the necessary forms online, please visit the Center for Service Learning Web site: http://www.uwec.edu/sl/

The reflection piece for the service learning project can be completed as a two page paper submitted to the Blugold Beginnings office.

Rewards

The Blugold Beginnings program depends on volunteer mentors at the 5th grade level. The relationships, fun times, experiences, lessons learned, and completion of the Service Learning requirement are all rewards mentors take away from their time with students.

Mentors who work at the middle and high school level are paid for their time. Mentors volunteer their time to mentor at the elementary level. Site coordinators are also paid positions. Apply Now! Please review all volunteer and paid positions available through Blugold Beginnings.

 

Tour Day Mentor Information

Blugold Beginnings hosted the 5th Grade Campus Tour Day field trip for 1500 fifth graders and their teachers.  Over 350 college student volunteers participated each day, April 26-27, as Tour Day Mentors. College students spent time with the visiting 5th graders, showed them around campus and talked to them about college as an opportunity for them. It was a two day commitment, Thursday, April 26 & Friday, April 27 from 9:00 am-2:30pm.

Tour Day Mentors got a free t-shirt and lunch each day and could earn 15 hours of service learning!

Online sign-up to particpate in the 2013 Campus Tour Days (April 25th and 26th) will begin in the Spring semester.

Service Learning for UWEC Students:
Service Learning can be earned by participating with this educational community school event.  To earn those hours, you must complete the following:
- Training (1 hour)
- 2 pre visits (2 hours)
- 2 tour days (10 hours)
- 2 post visits (2 hours)
- A two page reflection paper
The reflection paper must be turned into Lissa Martinez by May 31, 2012.  The Center for Service Learning requires students to complete an online application to identify their project: http://www.uwec.edu/sl/. Within the service learning application, you should list Lissa Martinez as your supervisor.

Student Mentor Quotes from Tour Day 2010:

Jenny Mackenzie
“Initially I went into this group just hoping to offer my time and get my hours; however, I was caught off guard by the experiences I will never forget.”

Marie Stubb
“I saw the excitement on the faces of the fifth graders we visited and heard it in their voices as they asked multiple questions on what we were going to do when they came to visit the following week, and I think I started to get the picture then”
“I think the best part of the whole experience was the post visit to the classrooms after the tour days were over. I was amazed to see how excited these kids still were about their visit. The gum tree, visiting the dorms, and the cockroaches (from the greenhouse) were the big favorites with many of them”
“these kids were excited about coming to campus during the pre-visit, they were excited about college while they were actually on campus and touring it, and they were still excited about college when we visited them again during the post-visit.”

Katie Dalzell
“I think the fifth graders enjoyed when we took them into Phillips Hall. They got to see the greenhouses and also aquariums with fish and sea creatures which they seemed very interested in”
“it’s not very often that I get to be engaged with children, and this gave me the opportunity to convey a strong and positive message about the importance of college to people much younger than myself”
“I think that this day got these 5th graders thinking about college more than they had before, and left them with more knowledge about what college is all about. I also think it taught us college kids more about ourselves and what we want to do with our lives.”

Amanda Werner
“Along the walks there was a constant gust of questions about everything  we passed, and the children were genuinely interested. I’m glad they could see the opportunities that are available on a college campus besides simply taking classes. It shone a positive light on their previous view of college”
“I was impressed and proud of how big of an impact the tour day had on these children.”